


Could It Be the Perfect Story

by writerswritingwritings



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex Danvers Has a Penis, Angst, F/F, Girl Penis, More characters to come, Original Characters - Freeform, Some Fluff, Will Have Bits of Violence and Action, more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:40:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 60,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23717575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerswritingwritings/pseuds/writerswritingwritings
Summary: Alex Danvers' past has come back with a little pooch along with it and maybe a little punch, too. Lena Luthor is set for the future with her head held high but it won't be an easy entry. They need to mix and match themselves in order to live in the present, for their daughter.And maybe also to survive ruthless bad guys.#AgentCorp
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 146
Kudos: 395





	1. After Tragic Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> The explanation for the weird start and the weird well-constructed ending was because this was just supposed to be short and direct to the point. But things happen and now this is a story. So the start is S2EP1 with Lena and Kara having had talked before the start of my story's scene.
> 
> Hi, welcome.

The ground quaked when the explosion happened. People ran in different directions, all away from the stage where Lena Luthor was still standing on, holding tightly to the podium.

Alex Danvers' legs moved on their own even when her sister yelled for her to stop. She ran. She ran towards her and swiftly pushed herself up on the stage. "Lena, come on!"

The CEO's eyes widened at the voice she heard. She wanted to stop and make sure that it was who her mind thought but she was held by her arms and practically dragged off the stage.

"Stay here." Alex instructed or more like ordered her and went back to helping the few officers guiding the civilians out of the park.

"Lena!" Kara hugged her best friend then quickly pulled away, checking her body for any injuries, "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes.. I'm fine… Just got a bit deaf there but I'm okay." 

"Ms Luthor!" 

"Lena!"

Jess and Alex both quickly arrived by her sides firing question after question mostly asking her if she was okay and if she needed to go to the hospital.

"I'm fine!" She screamed, pulling her arm away from Alex. The agent's eyes reflected pain but Lena promptly turned away from her and faced her secretary. "Where is Lexie?"

"She's safe, I told Hector to stay close with her, team Aqua is securing the premises."

Lena let out a deep breathe, "We're going to get her. Where is Michael?" She started walking towards the road where her car should be waiting.

"Wait." Alex grabbed Lena's wrist that made the brunette stop in place. "Someone just tried to bomb you at your speech you can't just go - "

"Watch me. Like you did four years ago."

"Lena…" the agent's voice cracked, her grip loosened enough for the brunette to pull away and start walking towards the car.

* * *

"Why we leaving early?"

"We're going to spend some Mum-Lexie time." She laughed when her daughter squealed and hugged her tighter. Lena hugged her back just as tight.

The pre-school teacher understood the situation and agreed to excuse Lexie for the rest of the afternoon. Even when she got into the car she kept Lexie close to her. They arrived at the penthouse and Lexie immediately went to her room to change out of her uniform and into her favorite jammies. 

Lena removed her high heels by the front door and made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed a glass which she poured scotch into and quickly downed it. Honestly, seeing Alex was causing more distress than the fact that someone was out to get her. Again.

"Mommy, what do we watch?"

"You can choose," Lena watched her daughter set out three movie DVD's on the floor, her hands fisted on her waist as she thought carefully of what they should watch. The image of her ex entered her mind, the two looking the same at that moment. Lena gathered her wit, refusing to acknowledge the redhead any further and started on the popcorn and other snacks they often had during Mum-Lexie time.

The doorbell rang just as she put the popcorn in the microwave.

"I'll get it!"

Lena's heart jumped to her throat when Lexie ran to the door.

"Lexie, don't open that door!" 

"Hello."

"Oh. Hello."

"Lexie!" Lena pulled her daughter back from the door, she looked up to see a familiar face. "Alex."

The redhead stood awkwardly by the door, in her hand was a plastic bag which appeared to be filled with ice cream. "Umm… I'm sorry, I just..wanted to talk?" Alex finished unsurely, she was looking everywhere but Lena then her eyes landed on eerily identical looking brown eyes.

"We have the same name." The little girl smiled.

"Really?" At this she got the courage to look at Lena but this time it was the CEO who would not meet her own.

"Why don't you join us for some movies? I think the popcorn's just done." The redhead was surprised she wasn't being forcefully kicked out by now but she was going to take the invitation. "Your ice cream seems like a great addition."

"It's cookies and cream but there's also plain chocolate." She said holding up the plastic in her hand. She entered the condo noticing how there was an odd combination of plain white and rainbow around her. She shrugged off her leather jacket and put it on the hook by the entryway. She arrived at the kitchen just in time as the microwave dinged.

Lena took the popcorn and put the contents in a plastic bowl. 

Alex saw the cups on top of a glass plate, "You always did like to put these on the counter. I'm guessing the little one gets the plastic one?"

"Yes, not really my type of dinnerware but…I had to adapt." Alex nodded, a small smile on her face.

"How old is she?"

"She just turned four last February."

Alex stood rooted on her spot, hands gripping the hard marble counter. "Lena…"

"After the movie.” Lena spoke quietly, “I will answer all of your questions, until then… Can we pretend?"

The redhead was fighting her own stubbornness but the little voice calling out for her mom on the couch got her to agree. They watched Moana, Lexie singing her heart out in every song. She was surprised when Alex joined her during Maui's "You're Welcome," Lexie laughed in glee the whole time, they both tried to get Lena on the singing but she refused vehemently.

After trying to re-enact almost every scene from the movie the little one was tuckered out next to Alex, who carefully moved her to a more comfortable position. She put a pillow under her head and wrapped her in a blanket that had a big print of various Disney princesses. 

Lena had returned from the kitchen, she kept to herself for a moment watching in silence as Alex moved swiftly and carefully. Like it was natural to her. The thought had Lena's eyes glistening with tears she was unwilling to escape.

Alex kneeled on the carpeted floor as she pulled the soft blanket up to Lexie's neck. Her fingers gently pushing away the dark brown strands of hair from her face. It took everything in her not to kiss the little girl on the forehead. She looked up to see Lena behind the couch, in her hands were wine glasses and her best bought wine from Milan.

They both stood outside the balcony. Alex moved towards the railings taking in a deep breathe as she tried to reign in her emotions while the CEO calmly poured them wine in each glass.

_"Maybe I should have just grabbed the scotch."_

Nevertheless, she took a sip of her own and moved to give Alex's.

"Thank you," the agent took hers and gulped down half of it. Alex grimaced, "Sorry."

"Before anything else, yes, she is your daughter." That prompted the redhead to fully drink the rest and move to get more. It was Lena's turn to grimace.

"It's good wine..." Alex said when she saw the look on Lena's face. "We are…a mess, aren't we."

The brunette felt many things but she did not want to cry in front of her ex so she settled for the one strong emotion in front of her mind, "Well, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation if you didn't just watch my mother practically drag me away." The bitterness and anger Lena felt was voiced into her words.

"I didn't want to, you know this Lena."

"But you did and that's why we're in this situation!" Lena quickly looked over to Lexie making sure she didn't wake up. "I won't keep you away from her now that you know. We'll just have to explain everything to her."

"So if I didn't find out you would have never told me?" Alex's brows furrowed, she herself was starting to feel angry that Lena still kept throwing her mistake in her face but she didn't have anything back then.

No degree, no father, no mother to guide her, no sister to help. All she had were her drinks at parties and the nights with Lena. 

"Perhaps not." The CEO took a sip of her wine while Alex had put hers down. "I wouldn't want her to feel the same disappointment I felt."

"Will you stop blaming me for what I did?! I was hurt, too! My heart was gut wrenched while I watched that door close behind you!! I didn't want to let you go.."

"Then why did you?!"

"Because!"

"Mommy?" Lexie stood from the couch, the blanket draped around her shoulders, she wiped the sleep away from her eyes and looked at the two adults. "Are you fighting?"

Lena moved quickly, setting down her glass and picked up her daughter. She cradled her against her body, "I'm sorry baby, we didn't mean to wake you. We just had a misunderstanding." Green eyes met with brown and Alex nodded in agreement.

"I think I should go." The redhead brought the glasses and wine back inside. She strode over to her jacket by the door and wore it like a shield as she stared at the mother and daughter duo in the living room. "We'll talk again soon."

"At L-Corp, we'll work it out with my lawyers." 

Lexie moved her body so she could look at Alex, eyes bright and fully awake from her nap, "Will you come sing again?"

Without looking away from little brown eyes like hers, Alex smiled, "Of course. Your mommy will let me know and we can have lots of Disney singing you want."

"Next time we'll watch Tangled!" 

"I look forward to it." Alex had a big smile on her face.

Lena still carried Lexie with her as she approached Alex, a card in her hand. "My phone numbers, text me when you're available, then we can arrange a meeting."

"Sounds good.." The redhead slid it in her back pocket. She looked at Lena then at the little girl, "take care of your mommy, okay?"

"Okay." Lexie laid her head on her mother's shoulder as she watched her new friend go. 

The resounding click of the door almost felt too loud for Lena. She walked towards the kitchen and set her daughter on the marble counter. She ordered take-out from a fast food place which Lexie was excited for and made sure to ask for large fries.

The night consisted of more Disney movies and a few questions about mommy's friend. Lena was not looking forward to whenever the unexpected meeting would happen.

* * *

"Hey.." the caller started, "I just wanted to ask if you guys would like to go to the park?"

It was a Sunday, the bombing happened last Wednesday and Lena made sure the security around Lexie became tighter. Alex had been asking updates on their safety and sometimes even about Lexie. The mother-daughter duo's Saturday was spent indoors and consisted of a Science marathon and various messy experiments from YouTube.

"Alex?"

"Uh - Yeah.. sorry, it's Alex Danvers. I completely forgot to introduce myself but I have been texting you so I thought you might have saved this already but yeah, this is her.. me… Alex." While Alex was completely flustered on her side, Lena couldn't help the smile on her face, badass agent Danvers was rambling and tumbling over her words.

"It's okay, I just didn't check the name, I'm still having my second coffee. The park sounds great though, we'll meet you at 10:30 then we could grab lunch after, is that okay?"

"Yes! That's sounds great." Alex's grin was stuck on her face the whole drive to the park. The same could be said of her younger counterpart who immediately bounced into the redhead's arms.

"Alex!" Lexie was wearing a jumper with white t-shirt and black converse shoes covered her feet. Her dark brown hair was in little pigtails, the little ties adorned with shiny ladybugs.

The agent chuckled at the enthusiasm and hugged Lexie close to her, inhaling her little girl's scent. "You look adorable in that jumpsuit, Lexie."

"Thank you, I picked out myself! Le's go play in the swing." Lexie let go of the redhead and raced towards the playset.

"Lexie, don't run, you might trip." Alex saw that Lena had a small backpack in place of the usual Gucci designer bags she wore and she was also wearing more comfortable clothes. A t-shirt, black skinny jeans and her shoes were matching Lexie's. Alex wore a plaid shirt and blue jeans. She liked to think she matched as well with the mother-daughter with her own red converse shoes.

"I'm fine Mommy." The little black haired girl kept running, until she reached the swings, she hopped on one and pushed herself with her legs. Alex was close on her tail and started pushing her higher. Lexie was squealing with glee at how high she was swinging. "It's like flying!"

Lena took out her phone and took a video of the whole scene. The only one that rivaled her daughter's smile was Alex's own grinning face. She saved the video and took lots of photos before settling on the bench nearby. When her daughter grew tired of the swing, she set out to play with other kids by the slide and sandbox.

"Thank you for agreeing…we didn't really end in good terms last time."

Lena looked at the agent next to her. Alex was completely relaxed in her plaid shirt, her eyes soft as she maintained her gaze at their daughter. "It's nothing. You deserve this much…if not more." The CEO took a deep breath, "I was too harsh on you. I shouldn't let our past dictate our daughter's future. I was being selfish… and scared. The moment I found out about her I promised myself I would protect her and love her. After everything that happened with Lex, my mother used Lexie to order me around and do everything she asked but after being L-Corp's official CEO I up and left her ass." 

Alex clenched her hands, Lillian had done nothing but cause pain in Lena's life and she even dared to use her daughter like a pawn to be dangled in front of Lena. Then something clicked in her mind, "Was it your mother that did the bombing?"

The agent didn't like it when Lena just shrugged. "Who knows," she replied, "a lot of people are after a Luthor, even my own family." Lena crossed her arms, a sign of her closing herself off.

"If I see your mother, I'm going to sucker punch her."

Lena smirked, expecting that answer, "Get in line agent."

After a tired and hungry Lexie came running back to them, Alex recommended to have lunch at a popular restaurant called Noonan’s. They sat at a corner booth after Lena had changed her daughter's shirt in the bathroom, which was one of the things inside the backpack and a few of her own essentials and Lexie's puff.

"She has asthma?"

Lena bit her lip then nodded, "She had it since she was born." She lowered her eyes unable to meet Alex's. "I gave birth to Lexie prematurely at 37 weeks. I was…in a lot of stress that time." 

She didn't need to say it, Alex knew she was talking about the bombing Lex did at an innocent suburb where Clark Kent with his family resided. Although Lex showed signs of being against the opposing party she never would have thought he would go so far as to involve a journalist who was only telling the truth of his fraud and money laundering. That the convicted man was once Clark's best friend and Alex's confidant in all things Lena was a shocking revelation for her. She couldn't imagine how much more it affected his own sister.

Lena let her hand run down her daughter's hair as the little girl tried to pick what she wanted from the menu.

The agent clenched her jaws, having a baby and working to keep her family's company afloat amidst all the chaos. Alex wished for nothing more than to have been there for Lena and especially for the birth of their daughter.

Lena took the tension in Alex's shoulders as the redhead being mad and blaming her for it which she readily accepted. "I'm sorry, it's not extremely bad, I just have her eat less poultry food and the reason for always having extra shirts and towelettes for her."

"Why are you apologizing?" Alex's brows furrowed as the woman in front of her sighed.

"I know you blame me for it, my own mother did." Lena scoffed, remembering how after just 2 hours from giving birth, Lillian already had a lecture stored for her.

"Don't ever compare me to Lillian."

"Mhmm!! Alex is different Mommy." The two almost forgot about the reason for their talks. "Alex is good."

"Yes, she is." Lena kept her eyes on her daughter as she spoke.

"I want chicken and fries…please." They all had their orders taken up and Alex volunteered to go in line. She did not expect to see her sister there.


	2. Meetings and Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see Kara. We see a glimpse of the past. We'll see what happens at dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty lengthy. Let me hear what you think tho.

Screw that. She should expect her sister to be at Noonan's but on a Sunday? Kara was usually busy with animal volunteering.

"Alex!" The blonde, completely oblivious from Alex's internal battle, hugged her sister tightly. "What are you doing here? You should have told me you were coming here. We should have lunch together."

"Uh…yeah, it was kind of an unexpected run." 

Kara looped her arm around her sister's right and pulled her close but a pull from Alex's left side stopped her.

"Alex, I want chocolate drink." Lexie was pulling at the redhead's left hand, a pout on her lips.

"L - Lexie…" Alex stuttered, staring at the little girl.

"Lexie?" Kara questioned as she looked down at the little girl.

"Kara."

"L- Lena…"

"Lena?"

"Kara, stop repeating what I say," Alex huffed. The annoyance was more to herself as she realized she wasn't getting out of this one. A cough from the counter had the lot disentangled and quickly moving to give their orders, including Kara's.

Lexie was happily eating her food. Kara, who was directly across from her, was doing the same.

Alex rolled her eyes good naturedly at her sister's eating habits. "Slow down, will you?" 

"You, too, Lexie. The food isn't going anywhere." Lena wiped a stray sauce from her daughter's chin. "Besides, you would beat the competition."

"I don't think anyone could beat Kara though." Her sister nodded proudly, still chewing her food.

Lexie's brown eyes glared at the blonde in front of her.

"Oh no."

"I - I can beat her, Alex. Watch!" She proceeded to grab a whole sandwich and took a big bite. 

Lena sighed, "If she chokes, it's your fault." She raised a brow at Alex's panicked look.

"I didn't think she was going to do that." She glared at Kara, who held a confused face, then whispered, "You better slow down, Kara."

The blonde did not know what was going on at all. All she got was that the little girl was Lena's daughter and Alex said she stumbled on them and was joining them for lunch. Now that little girl, who seems to be connecting the two, thought of her as a challenge to impress Alex, maybe?

In all her confusion she didn't finish her mouthful of potstickers and Lexie whooped in celebration.

"I won!" Alex breathed a sigh of relief that Lexie didn't actually choke. She offered the little one her chocolate drink just to be sure. 

"I think it's time for us to go." She cleaned off Lexie's hands with tissue then poured sanitizer on her little hands. She rubbed it on her palm, around her hands and wrists, when all done she showed it up to her mommy. "All good." Lena smiled.

"Already?"

"It's 1 o'clock, this one needs a nap by 2," Lena stood reaching over to Lexie who clasped her hands with hers. "I think we should have that talk sooner than later." Lena's eyes moved to Kara, "It was nice seeing you again, Kara. Especially when it's not under the guise of an interview."

"Yeah, maybe the whole group can all meet-up again," the blonde grinned. "We can have a game night..or day."

Lena bit her lip, uncertainty clear in her eyes.

"Or it can just be us. Whichever works for you." Kara smiled gently at her friend. She didn't want to pressure Lena into anything, she just wanted to make her friend whom she hadn't seen for so long feel welcome into the city.

The CEO visibly relaxed and nodded, "I'll text Alex when we'll be available."

"I can walk you out."

Lena raised an eyebrow, amusement playing on the smile of her lips but she kept them shut as Alex followed them out to the exit, leaving a confused reporter with her potstickers.

"I'm sorry Kara crashed our lunch."

"Don't be, like I said it was nice to catch up with Kara without the pen and paper. About this whole situation…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell her yet. But I do think a little someone else needs to know first."

Lexie crossed her arms, "I know you're talking about me."

"I'm sorry Lexie but this is a conversation between grown-ups." Lena sighed, "This one needs her nap. Tonight maybe?"

"Yeah, I'll bring the ice cream."

"Chocolate?" The little brunette finally relented her annoyance at hearing one of her favorite treats.

"Definitely," Alex smiled. She pulled herself down to Lexie's height and opened her arms. The little girl eagerly jumped at hugging her new found friend.

After saying goodbye, Alex released a heavy sigh as she now sat where the duo previously occupied, right across her sister. 

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" Kara was just scrolling through her phone as she now waited for her takeout. 

"I want to..but it's still kinda complicated." She groaned into her hands, she peeked through her fingers when her sister didn't press her more.

"It's always been complicated between you two hasn't it?" Kara questioned, her voice was soft as her mind seemed to drift to a memory.

Alex crossed her arms, leaning away from the table, "Yeah, I guess it has always been like that."

*

_"I like you Lena," Alex held the bouquet in her hands, it simply composed of the young ravenette's favorite flowers._

_"Plumerias," Lena's breath was caught in her throat. The person before her was Alex Danvers, a senior who was taking up a PhD, someone who always seemed so badass was now shyly standing in front of her, a bouquet of her favorite flowers thrusted in her face as the redhead's cheeks flushed._

_"Y-Yeah…I kinda had to cheat on this." She chuckled._

_"Let me guess, Kara?"_

_"Ding! You're a real genius, Luthor." Her childish grin, the joking way she said her last name made Lena's heart skip a beat._

_"Thank you, they're beautiful," Lena carefully accepted the flowers, cradling them in her arms. "Was that all you wanted to say?"_

_"Oh! Ummm…" Then back to the shy one, "would you like to go...on a date with me?"_

_"Pick me up at 8." She left a wide-eyed Alex Danvers in front of her door. A moment after, she heard a big whoop from down the hall and couldn't stop her own big smile._

*

Alex remembered that date and all their other ones, it all went perfectly well. From the fancy dates to the movie dates and even down to the snuggle dates, everything went great.

But they had their fights and arguments, over Alex's alcohol intake and partying to Lena's busy schedules and meeting arrangements. They always found their way into each other, never letting their anger burn overnight instead they let their passions take over and let their actions do the talking.

She realized after a year of their breakup it wasn't the healthiest form of a relationship but it was how they worked and maybe it was how they were supposed to end.

"But you'll tell me if it all gets overbearing, right?" Kara's concern could be seen through her eyes.

"Of course, sis."

* * *

Lena had just put Lexie for her nap. She didn't know how her daughter would take up on learning that Alex was her other mother. They've only bonded for a total of two days but it was completely unfair to Alex and Lexie to keep pretending.

The tears made their way down her cheeks. Lexie, for a long time, hadn’t warmed up to someone so quickly and easily. And Alex, she had only seen her a handful of times with a smile that was wide and free. Lena could see how much Alex loved their daughter already. She felt like a bad guy who ripped the two apart. Maybe if she never let her stepmother's words affect her. She may have never made Alex choose. She may have had the courage to stay her ground and never step foot on that airplane. But she was a complete coward and idiot who thought she could ever win Lillian's love and approval.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

Quickly turning around, Lena wiped away her tears although it was futile since her daughter already saw. She inhaled deeply and faced Lexie with a smile. She hoped she didn't look stupid. "Hi baby girl. You're up early." She picked her up and Lexie laid her head on her mother's shoulder, sleep still holding on to her lightly. She walked them to the couch and sat down, gently holding unto Lexie.

"'cited for Alex." Lexie mumbled and she chuckled. "Mommy don' be sad no more."

Lena combed her fingers through Lexie's soft dark brown hair. "I won't be sad anymore, not with my baby girl in my arms now," her voice was soft and quiet as she wanted the silence to encompass them and make the moment stay for as long as it would.

After 5 minutes of random talks, Lexie was feeling fully awake. Since Alex wasn't going to be around until 5 o'clock, Lena suggested Lexie help with the dinner they will have, spaghetti and garlic bread, which was something they've done a lot of times before. After putting their hairs in matching ponytails, she let Lexie grab the ingredients they would need while Lena did the cutting. When it was time for the waiting part they would play a spelling game or little guess games. Lena also ordered chicken wings and classic meatballs from Alberto's. Lexie, like her other mother, never liked fancy foods and instead opted for the usual fast food style.

She got a text from Alex saying that she was bringing wine. “Tho not fancy as urs obvs” the text read and Lena smiled, for such an educated woman it was like it killed Alex to text full sentences and words.

Lena knew she shouldn't but she was getting stressed over deciding what to wear. Lexie went with a simple white shirt with a science pun written on it (a gift from Aunt Sam) and cotton shorts. She finally settled her mind on a dark green, pleated crepe blouse paired with dark blue jeans. She pulled her hair from the tight hair tie and set about on putting light make-up on.

_"There. Simple enough, Luthor."_

When the clock rolled around 5PM their doorbell rang and Lexie happily skipped to the door with Lena close behind her.

"Hey Lexie." The redhead wore a soft looking red cardigan, black skinny jeans that hugged her legs tightly and black ankle boots. Alex crouched down to the little girl's height and gave her a big hug, she wanted to hold her daughter for as long as she could. Her smile fell seeing how Lena looked so serious. Lexie tugged at her shirt and the redhead turned her attention back to the little one. She cupped her hands and whispered to Alex how she saw her mommy crying earlier. "Don't worry, I got my secret weapon." She smirked as she held up the bag with ice cream.

"What are you two plotting?" Lena now had her arms crossed but a soft smile on her face.

Lexie giggled, knowing her mommy was now going to be happy with Alex's ice cream. She ran towards the kitchen leaving the two adults alone.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, of course. I just spaced out for a minute there."

"Lena," Alex hesitated.

"Everything's fine Alex, let's eat then see how the night goes."

Alex followed after her, putting their dessert in the freezer and once she saw the food laid on the dining room table she exclaimed how delicious everything looked.

"We just made the spaghetti and bread. Everything else is takeout," Lena chuckled. They settled around the modern, circular table.

"Mr. Alberto's meatballs are the best!" Lexie exclaimed while Lena was serving them on her plate.

"Lexie, inside voice."

"But it's true!"

"Well now I know what I'm going to eat first," Alex grinned as she directed her fork to the plate full of meatballs. She stabbed the first one on top and took a big bite of it, making an exaggerated sound of how delicious the food was. "This is the best meatball I've ever tasted."

Their conversations were light, mostly led by Lexie. She had various questions and both adults entertained each and every one of it.

"What's your fav'rite color?"

"Hmm.." Alex pretended to think, "..red."

"I like red, too, but I also like purple, blue, and yewllow.." her face scrunched knowing she pronounced it wrong. "Yel-low."

"Green is a close second for me," she added without thinking.

"Mommy's eyes are green!"

"Yeah," Alex shyly looked at the woman but Lena kept her gaze down on her food. She hoped she didn't just shoot her own foot on that one.

"I like doggies. Do you like doggies?"

"I like dogs but I'm more of a cat person."

Lexie nodded her head in agreement, "Kitties are cute, too. Ruby has a pet goldfish."

Alex looked to Lena, silently asking for more info.

"Ruby is Sam's 10 year old daughter. Sam Arias is the CFO of L-Corp."

"Auntie Sam is very good at math," Lexie supplied as her hands grabbed for the glass of juice. 

"Really? I'm kind of good at math, too."

"But Auntie Sam is reeaaaaalllyy smart."

Alex felt a small part on her forehead throb. She was smart, too. "Oh yeah, ask me a question."

Lena snorted but covered it behind the wine which they had to put in mugs to hide from Lexie.

"How many tubs of ice cream do you sell to get five more back?"

She was not expecting that.

"Lexie, you have to give a number," Lena reminded her softly.

"Oh yeah…umm…You have 10 tubs but you have to get 5 more."

Alex was thoroughly confused.

"Sorry, since Ruby doesn't think her mom is cool anymore Sam has turned to my daughter to turn her into her prodigy." Lena explained, she wanted to laugh at Alex's face. "They're still learning and she's been using food as an example."

"Ummm…"

"What about a science question dear, Alex knows a lot about it," Lena said trying to steer the conversation.

"Really? What is the elephant's trunk, a nose or a lip?"

"Okay, that one I know for sure is a trick question." Alex smirked. "It's both."

"Are you a scientist, like mommy?" The question spiked an interest in Lena as she turned her head towards Alex, too.

The redhead felt a bit conscious at the attention, "No, I work for the FBI."

Lexie gasped in amazement, "Like cool spy stuff?"

"Nah," Alex chuckled, "it's more like a lot of waiting and researching."

"Well, that's boring," she pouted. 

"Yeah, it kinda is." 

The topic went back to more science questions and random trivias. Time had passed and almost all the food was gone. 

Lexie excitedly bounced on her seat when her mommy pulled out the ice cream and served them in little cups.

"Do you like it mommy?" She asked when Lena ate her first scoop. 

"Mhmm… I love chocolate ice cream."

“I love strawberry, vanilla and cookies ‘n cream and chocolate,” she looked down at her cup, seeing only her favorite cookies and cream. She looked up to her mom who had chocolate in hers. “Mmm...change?”

Lena sighed knowing her daughter would want to change, it was why she often bought only one flavour of ice cream. “You said you wanted the cookies and cream one. You can’t waste it.”

“But I wanna change to chocolate,” her glistening eyes widened and her bottom lip jutted out.

“No, Lexie. You know the rules.”

She directed her eyes on the weakest victim.

“Uh…” Alex looked at Lena, she was unsure on what to do, she didn’t want to break any kind of rule Lena had put and it did seem like a logical rule. On the other hand, she didn’t want her daughter to cry, those brown eyes looked like they were shining under the luminescent lights like...like... _“Puppy eyes! I haven’t been affected by those in years.”_

“No means no, Lexie.” Lena spoke firmly.

“Um...we could exchange,” Alex said. “My sister and I do these Sister’s Nights and we would swap our ice cream halfway through them. Here,” she extended her hand with the cup of ice cream to Lexie. The little one eagerly accepted as she put her own cup on the table.

“You have a sister?” she asked after taking a scoop of the strawberry sorbet into her mouth.

“Yeah, remember the blonde from earlier?”

“The potsticker’s lady!”

Alex chuckled, “Yeah you can call her that but her name’s Kara and she’s my little sister.”

“You don’t look the same,” she ate more of her sorbet then reached out to Lena.

“That isn't nice sweetheart.”

“But it’s true,” she pouted until Lena relented her cup in exchange for the pink, sweet monstrosity.

“Mhmm...she’s adopted. Do you know what that means, Lexie?”

“Umm...it’s when you bring someone to your home and keep them forever, right? Like a dog.”

“Yes,” Lena picked up her napkin and wiped the dripping liquid from her daughter’s chin, “but Kara’s not a dog.”

“Well…” Alex started but cut herself off when Lena glared. “Right, she’s a person and my little sister, who I love very much even if we’re not related by blood.”

“I want a sister!”

Lena choked on the small strawberry bit. This was why she only ever trusts plain chocolate ice cream. 

“Mommy, exchange with Alex!” 

_“Thank God for short attention spans.”_

“It’s okay,” Alex said. “I know you don’t like this one either.” She pointed down at the cup of cookies and cream with her spoon.

“If I wanted cookies with the frozen cream I would have just grabbed milk and cookies.”

“Heeey,” Lexie suddenly spoke loudly. The chocolate sorbet on her spoon was drowning in its own liquid. “Is that why you never bought cookies ‘n cream?”

Like a little child caught in the act, Lena’s cheeks reddened as she stuttered over her words. “O - Of course not.. I would… M - Mommy would always ask you which flavour you want, remember?” Which was true but whenever Lexie seemed to be leaning towards that specific flavour she would grab a different flavoured tub of sorbet and practically wave it in front of her daughter until the thought of cookies and cream vanished from her head.

“Hmm...I guess but next time we’re getting them, okay Mommy?” Her voice carried a certain authority to it and Lena simply agreed while the redhead beside her laughed at her predicament. 

Once everything was eaten and cleaned, they let Lexie turn on the television and let her scroll through the hundreds of kids movie. They took time to clean the table and kitchen, Lena could see that Alex needed a moment. Slowly, she reached out to the hand gripping the edge of the marble counter. "Deep breathes. Everything's going to be fine." She smiled, feeling Alex's hand slowly relax.

"Okay, let's get this over with." With one deep breath, she followed Lena over to the living room. It wasn't much of a walk with the place being an open space penthouse.

"Lexie, honey," she sat down on Lexie's right side, "Alex and I want to talk to you about something."

"Serious talk?" Lexie asked in a small voice. Her mother took the remote from her hands and decided to turn off the TV. Alex sat across them from the other sofa not wanting to make it seem she was imposing herself. She wanted Lexie to feel comfortable when she heard the news.

"Yes but it's nothing bad, I promise." She stroked back the few strands that went astray from her little ponytail. "You remember how I told you Alex is an old friend?" Lexie nodded. "Right," he throat felt tight and she might actually vomit here and now but everything needed to be cleared, for everyone's sake. "Well, she and I used to date."

"Like with Jack?" Her question was innocent but it didn't stop Alex from clenching her laced hands. She heard about Lena and Jack Spheer getting together, it was practically all over every tabloid and most especially with CatCo. 

"Yes but Alex…" she swallowed. "Alex is different because Alex is your mommy."

They waited with breaths held tight as Lexie looked towards the redhead. Alex on her part tried to give a comforting smile.

"But," her little brows furrowed in confusion, "you're my mommy." She looked at Lena.

"I mean, she's your other mother. Like, how Luke has two Daddies, you have two mommies." Lena explained, remembering the nice couple from Lexie's pre-school. "She's also special that's why we were able to have you." Lena moved close to her daughter, pulling her in a side hug. Her hand ran up and down her little arm trying to give comfort.

Everyone was quiet, Lexie now looked at Alex in confusion and a bit of fear and it hurt the redhead to see such conflict in her brown eyes. She was cuddling close to Lena almost sitting on her lap. Alex moved down to kneel just a bit in front of Lexie. "Hey, I know this is a lot but you don't have to call me…you don't have to call me anything you don't want to." She held eye contact with those eyes similar to hers, making sure her daughter understood everything she was trying to say. "I can still just be Alex. I'll still bring ice cream, watch movies and sing with you. And your mommy is still your mommy, okay?"

The little girl nodded, showing she understood but her left thumb had found itself into her mouth. Lena gently pulled it away successfully with just a bit of whining. "We wanted you to know this because it's not fair to keep the truth from you anymore," Lena spoke softly.

"And lying is bad," Lexie said seriously, her thumbs fiddling with her shirt.

"Yes, it is." Lena chanced a look at Alex but the woman kept her gaze on their daughter. Pain reflected in Alex's eyes but Lena didn’t know what else to do, she made her choices and now she has to face the consequences it has brought.

In the quiet of the living room, Lexie's small voice seemed to echo when she asked, "Why did you go away?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit in the story which is just me not being smart enough to make math questions.  
> 


	3. Explanations with Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Alex's workplace and we meet some familiar characters!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I ever watched an FBI or CIA show? Never. Do I have google? Yes.

Alex was a smart kid. Procreated from two big shot scientists it was almost expected of her. She was always ready to answer any question directed at her. From a teacher or professor, to that police officer who jailed her and now to her boss who was asking her if she needed a few days of leave.

"No." It was another Thursday and she was in their office working on a few papers delivered to her from the research team of the Bio Lab. It was sent to her for a final review which wasn't something that happened often but Alex had a background in bio-chem and a minor in biology and with the recent success of her case some teams have been asking for her opinion on a case or even research paper.

"I've noticed you've been a bit…aloof lately. More than usual." John Jones, the team leader of Assault Team 13, was leaning his shoulder against the doorframe with his heavy boots crossed at the ankle as he stared across the room at her.

The office was modest in size with five agents cramping up the place. Each agent had a desk to work on for their paperwork. There were lockers along the side walls, filled with important documents or research and background histories of people they tracked and were still tracking. The wall behind Alex was bare aside from the decorative frames of certificates that their team had gotten from the smallest to the biggest cases they had solved. The grey paint was cracking starting from the corners up the plain drop ceiling, white fluorescent lit up the dull place. 

They had tried to make the office look a bit more lively with plants on each corner and a white board with quotes and random drawings from each of them. Lunch time had her being the only one in the office. He had his arms crossed and his gaze was gentle as he spoke, "I think you should take a vacation. After the success of that last big case, everyone can agree you deserve a break, Alex."

But the agent didn't look up from the paper she was reading for almost 30 minutes now. Her mind was completely elsewhere, unable to focus on her work. It had been almost a week since Lexie was told the truth. Everything afterward was neither chaotic nor calming. She just wanted her daughter to feel as comfortable as possible even if she would never be called Mom as long as she got to see Lexie then everything would be okay but that was the problem now, Lexie might never want to see her.

Alex finally put the paper down and leaned back against her chair. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

*

_"Why did you go away?"_

_Alex didn't have an answer to that and as an FBI agent she has had to answer numerous questions like that from little kids that had to be taken from their parents and then put into foster care or close relatives. It should be simple enough but she didn't know how to tell her that she didn't go away. She stayed away._

_"It's.." she started, "it's a little a lot." Her smile fell, teeth gnawed at her lips unsure of the next steps to take. "But I'll try my best to explain. Your mommy and I didn't understand each other anymore and we would fight a lot."_

_"I don't like fighting with mommy." Lexie murmured._

_"Neither do I," Alex had tears building up but she tried to grasp unto that Agent Danvers that many people believe to be so badass and strong but it was so hard right now. "I hated seeing your mommy cry, especially if it was because of me. So I - I decided to let her go fly away to a different place and I stayed. Because we needed to be in different places to do the things we love and be happy." Her voice cracked at the end, she didn't know if Lexie would understand, the situations that she and Lena were in were not easy. At the time, maybe they thought their fights were simple to mend with just a few kisses and completely forgetting about it the next day only for the same arguments to repeat another day. She saw that Lena was crying as she held their daughter close but now refused to look at her. She finally knew the truth, that Alex did not run after her, that she did just watch her go._

_"Please forgive me," were the only words Alex had left to say to their daughter. She gently took Lexie's little hand in her left and slowly, like not wanting to scare an animal that's been badly hurt, she reached out to Lena's hand that was grasping their daughter's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I never wanted to hurt any of you." Tears were streaming down the adult's faces. Little Lexie was very confused because her other mommy went away and now she was back and everyone was crying which was making her cry._

_"Mommy, my head hurts." She turned to Lena, burying her head against her chest, the hand that was holding on to Alex now clenched against her head._

_"Okay, I think we need to have an early bedtime." Lena wiped away her own tears and held Lexie close. She left Alex in the living room while she carried their daughter to her bedroom to tuck her in._

_When Lena got back, Alex stood by the door with jacket in hand. She was still trying to wipe away the tears that kept running._

_"I really am sorry, Lena," her voice was but a whisper. "I - I just…You have no idea how much I wanted to run after you and hold you tight but…" her eyes were going to be bloodshot red after tonight. "We were college students mixed up with adult shit. We were bound to grow tired and out of love or explode in a flurry of anger. I didn't want either of those to happen."_

_"So for once my mother told me the truth," Lena scoffed. "I kept asking to wait for over an hour hoping you'd come but she told me you were never coming. I thought she might have said or done something to you but…"_

_Alex shook her head, "It would take hell freezing over before I listened to that woman….but yeah," she gathered up the courage to lift her head and look at the woman she loved with all of her broken pieces. "I watched you leave by my own accord."_

_The silence surrounded them. A thickness in the air that almost felt suffocating to both women. For Alex, the truth was finally out, if Lena thought she hadn't gone after her because of whatever her stepmother did or said she was now proven wrong. The pain she caused them both was all on her._

_A soft hand caressing the left side of her cheek wasn't what she expected nor that soft voice calling her out by that nickname again._

_"Oh, Tiger."_  


*

"You know, maybe you're right sir."

John walked over to Alex's desk, it was small with two box file holders on the right side, paper works on the left and two small photo frames that he knew was of her with her sister and one with their mother. It was a rather impersonal work desk but he could say the same of his own.

"You know your father was a good man. He would be very proud of how far you've come." Alex didn't reply. "If there's anything I could help you with, I'm here to talk."

"I don't think showing favoritism in the team would be good," she smirked.

John chuckled, "You know what I mean. Maybe treat us to drinks before you go on a month's worth of vacation."

Her eyes widened. "Whoa, a month? No, I was talking about maybe a day or two of leave."

"Alex you just solved a huge case." John stood straight, his arms once again crossing over his chest. "Not only were you on the field for days and nights you also helped in the research and DNA testings. We were stumped on this case for almost five years but you helped in just over 2 1/2 years. You need a break after all that."

"Three days."

"Two weeks."

"One." 

Both agents kept their eye contact, with both being special agents their stare off could have gone forever not even the office door opening had them breaking away.

"Oh no," Lucy Lane said the instant she saw the situation. She rolled her eyes knowing exactly what was going on. "Better just leave her be, boss." She spoke walking over to her desk that was closest to the door.

Vasquez was not far behind her along with their other two members: Jameson Hayes and Richard Gomez.

"Another stare down?" Jameson was grinning as he headed to his desk, on the opposite of Lucy's.

"You should just take her bargain, boss," Vasquez said from beside Jameson.

The two agents were not perturbed until John finally relented, he had a meeting to attend to and Alex was not going to budge for a whole 24-Hours even if he cheated. He sighed in defeat, "Fine, a week but I better not see you within a 30 meter radius here. I'll expect your papers later this afternoon at 3. Agents." John gave a nod of acknowledgement which they all returned and left the office.

"A week? That's a big bargain in Danvers' book," said Lucy.

"Yeah, I owe my Mom a visit after being so busy for all the holidays." 

"We are going to miss hearing you and Lucy banter," Richard said playing with a baseball ball tossing it up and down.

Alex could only roll her eyes as she finally finished off reviewing the papers. She put them inside a folder and sealed it tight. "Don't do anything I would do." 

Laughter filled the office knowing she meant for them to stay out of trouble. Alex left the bunch and went to the HR office to ask for an application of leave paper. She filled it out before proceeding to the Labs. 

Just before the fun laboratory itself was a big office, five times as big as theirs. Scientists of different ages were busy with research papers. A few of the laboratory desks were occupied by lab instruments and equipment. The sight made Alex miss working in the labs and discussing scientific works but she wasn't here to reminisce. By the window, working on a centrifuge was the person she was looking for.

"Brainy!" Her shout caused her a few glares but there were some that greeted her, a few congratulating her, still, on the big success case. She lightly threw the folder on the empty side of the desk, "Here's the paper. Everything's in order except for Section IV Article 3B. Double check it, the reaction intermediate seems a bit off."

Querl Dox or as Alex had taken to calling him, Brainy, flipped the paper over to the said section. "Thank you for the assistance, Dr. Danvers."

"Please don't call me that, that's my mom."

"Understood, Ms. Danvers."

"Alex is fine, Brainy." Her fingers were tapping against the desk.

He still held up the papers but he was glancing at the agent before him. "Would you like to check some of the new findings?"

Alex snapped out of her musings, "Huh? Uh…no, I still need to get my one week leave signed."

"You're going on a leave?" His eyebrow raised in question.

Alex realized she was going to have a lot of people being surprised that she was going to be away for a whole week. For five years she has never taken a leave of absence of more than 2 days. "Yeah, I owe my mom." 

"That's good. Relaxation of the mind and body is important, especially with such lines of work like yours."

"Yeah." Alex didn't say that work was her place of relaxation. Now, real life was taking a turn she had not expected, maybe this was the payment for all the smooth sailing she has experienced while Lena probably had to wake up every 2AM to take care of baby Lexie.

"L-Corp had announced the sale of a new technology that can completely filter germs and bacterias from river water." He pulled out a magazine of CatCo that featured Science and Technology from one of the drawers of his desk, the magazine was already on the page of the tech he was talking about. "It seems they plan to sell it to other poorer countries at a low price, too. Ms. Luthor is quite far from being her brother."

Alex couldn't help the smile on her face, as she skimmed the information. "Yes, she's a whole different person from her family."

Brainy turned the page, "If only more companies would follow after her lead." The next page was a small scandal that took place six years ago about MG Edge Tech. of how their tech machines for cleaning school swimming pools malfunctioned, ending in the pools having too much chlorine. Many of the children were sent to hospitals to be taken care of. A medicine was soon distributed but at a high price. Last September, it was officially found out that the drug company was under MG Edge Tech. all along and the whole situation was planned out by the company. A lot of people grew furious and led strikes but the building still stood proudly as if it held no dark secrets.

Alex could only sigh. This was a complicated case that had involved her sister and her friend Winn Schott, Jr. It took months for the two to be cleared and they had won afterwards. But it didn't mean she didn't give the two a stern talk about chasing after dangerous leads.

One good thing came of it, Winn had been offered by the FBI a position in their department not as an IT guy but as part of the Cyber Crime.

"Alex! Hey, what's up?" Winn turned his chair to face the agent. He was at the very corner of the room, he had trinkets and toys of all sorts. Things he got away by being in the farthest part of the room. Some agents were furiously typing away on their keyboards while some were sipping on hot coffee, watching their screens that had jumbled letter and numbers, Alex always had a headache looking at them.

"I'm looking for John. He wasn't in the main office, thought maybe he came by here." 

"Oh, didn't you hear." His voice took on that tone of controlled excitement then whispered, "The big guys up above are having a big meeting."

Alex frowned. That wasn't anything new, of course the upper Supervisors and such always had special meetings, there was bound to be one almost every week. "So?"

"They asked for every Chief and Supervisor from almost all the teams to attend."

That one was odd but she didn't have time to worry about it. She had a paper to be signed but she asked Winn to keep her updated on that little situation.

She made a stop at John's office again and upon not seeing him there, she opted to leave the paper on top of his oak desk. When she got near the desk a thin, red plastic folder caught her eye. It was probably nothing, a new case, new information, it could have been a lot of things. But it called out to her, not the red colour nor the plastic but it was thin like it only held one piece of paper.

"Don't get into trouble," she murmured to herself, the voice was like a combination of her mother, Kara and a certain CEO.

The office door suddenly opened to reveal an aggravated John Jones. He calmed his demeanor upon seeing Alex in his office.

"Alex -"

"I just came here to get my leave of absence signed."

"Of course." He sat heavily on his chair and searched for a pen, not finding any on himself he started opening the file cabinets and rustling around the papers.

_Click!_

He looked up to see the agent holding up a black ballpoint pen with a silver clip. "Thank you." 

She handed it over to him saying, "It was in that cup." 

"Of course." With no more words exchanged the paper was quickly signed and he gave it to her. 

"Thanks." She turned on her heel, halfway to the door John beckoned her back.

"Don't get into trouble, Alex." He said the exact same words she muttered to herself. "I think you have enough on your plate with Ms. Luthor being in National City."

It was information that she expected the FBI to have on her but for John to use it on her was a low blow. She didn't open her mouth to answer and instead gave a nod of acknowledgement. 

John released his breath once the door closed. His eyes lingered on the red, plastic envelope. He knew Alex saw it, she was one of the best in the team, perhaps the best agent the Assault Team has ever had but even someone as great as Alex Danvers couldn't go against a group that was completely unknown to them. Completely anonymous and so well hidden that only one piece of paper contained all the information they had gathered on the group. No, they needed help and Alex was the one they needed for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...I changed up J'onn J'onnz name into a classic American one. lol


	4. From Distances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena isn't innocent in the whole ordeal and tries to explain to Lexie. We have a look at the infamous Alberto's restaurant and Alex and the gang have a night together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early post for today! Also, the the earlier update was just some grammar corrections to Chapter 3.

On the other side of the city, Lena Luthor had just finished reading, finalizing and signing papers. Her head was throbbing and her eyes were tired. She had 20 minutes left before 4PM and Lexie would come barreling into her office. She closed her eyes to rest but her mind started to wander to that night.

*

_Lexie's room was like any other kid's room. Chests filled with toys, shelves with storybooks and stuffed toys of animals and princesses. She laid her down on her princess bed and had the blanket tucked up to her neck. She gently wiped Lexie's cheeks with the soft towel she kept around._

_"I don't like Alex no more," she said, wiping away at her nose with her hand. Lena moved to clean her up and have her blow._

_This was not what she wanted to happen. "Why is that baby girl?"_

_"'Cause she made you cry and gave me a headache."_

_Lena had to chuckle a bit at that. _"That makes two Luthor's."__

_She combed and massaged Lexie’s head lightly, the effect it had on her daughter was clear as her eyes started to close in content. "Alex didn't mean it baby. Sleep for now."_

_"Love you." Lena's little trick worked and Lexie was dozing off._

_"Love you, too."_

_When she got back, Alex was by the door ready to leave. Standing in front of the redhead and hearing her words she realized her mother had told her the truth. That Alex wasn't ever going to come in running, out of breath, to keep her from going to Metropolis. That small flame of anger simmered within, sleepless nights filled with loneliness and cries of a child she had never expected. Letting the flame burn would have been easy but in her heart she was so, so tired of having to keep holding on to that feeling for years. If this was how she would finally get her peace and the love filled life she always wanted for Lexie then she needed to let go of the anger and start letting hope back inside her._

_"Oh Tiger," Bright brown eyes widened. "You have always been the more mature one, huh." She smiled even though her eyes were filling up with tears again. "Always having to take care of everyone even if it meant hurting yourself." She let her hands cup those soft cheeks. Tears were streaming down her face as she let their foreheads rest together._

_Alex had held her breath but slowly let it out._

_Lena's thumb softly caressed the side of her face. It could've been seconds or minutes but they stayed in that position long enough for their crying to finally stop and let their bodies calm._

_"Lena…."_

_"Would you give her time?" Her voice was quiet as she broke away from the intimate moment. "It's probably been too much but I think you did good and she will come to understand."_

_Alex's nod was minute, almost imperceptible. They didn't make eye contact as they said their goodbyes and good night's._

*

Three full days had passed. Lexie hadn't shown any more distress except that morning after where she didn't drown her pancakes in syrup. Lena had asked her teacher at school if anything went wrong but Lexie participated and talked like she often did. The next days were a bit easier with a random question about Alex here and there.

A poke on the cheek roused her from the memory induced sleep. Slowly, her eyes opened to the bald, white ceiling of her office.

"Mommy!" Lexie yelled once she saw her mother was awake. "I'm here!" 

Lena chuckled, "Yes, I can see that Lexie. How long have you been waiting?" She directed the question to Jess, her secretary, who stood by the open doors of her office. 

"About three minutes before she walked in wanting to wake you."

"I'm sorry, baby girl. Shall we order at Alberto's for tonight?" She gathered her things and waited for her daughter to grab her own princess bag from the couch.

"I want spaghetti...mmmm." 

"Alright, let's go my little foodie monster." Lexie grabbed her mother's outstretched hand while the other grasped the sling of her backpack. Both Luthor's waved goodbye to Jess as they exit the office.

Alberto's was a restaurant a bit out of the ways. It was a place Lena discovered after her first night of being able to roam the city on her own and the perfect babysitter had arrived at National City; her best friend Sam. Halfway between the cities and the suburbs, stood the quaint restaurant. A bit of a walk inside to the alley between a small bookstore and fast food diner was Alberto's. It was decent in size, a good number of customers entering the place. There were seats outside covered by beautiful umbrellas that hung from strings, like the restaurants in Paris. A small bell indicated their entry.

"Ms. Luthor! And Ms. Lexie!" Said little girl giggled, always finding it funny when she was addressed as Miss like her mommy.

"Hello Mr. Richard," Lexie greeted, she could just see over the counter by her tippy toes. "We would like two spaghetti's, please."

"Good choice." Richard, who was manning the counter, nodded a bit exaggeratedly. "Would you like lots of cheese on it, Miss?" He grinned.

Lexie looked at her mother for the answer and said yes when Lena nodded. "And ice cream," she said in her most serious voice.

"No, ice cream," Lena immediately answered.

"Churros, then?" Richard gave an innocent smile at the CEO of one of the biggest companies in National City. The raised brow made him want to take back his words.

"Churros it is," Lena rolled her eyes playfully. She quite loved the effect she had on people even outside the office. She added Gambas al Ajillo and some Patatas Bravas, holding off the hot sauce on the latter for Lexie. She paid for their take-outs and sat by the window seats to wait.

Lena pulled out her phone, seeing a few emails and decided to answer one. Or two. After answering and pressing send on the third one. She noticed her daughter's face was set in a frown.

"Lexie, what's wrong?"

"Alex liked the A'bo'digas a lot." Albondigas, the Spanish style meatballs here were a favourite of Lexie's. Alex on the other hand still seemed to be a sensitive topic. Combining those two in one sentence was a completely unknown area.

Lexie had asked a few questions concerning Alex, like how old the redhead was, where she lived and the biggest one was how she had the same name as Alex, except longer. Lena had told her the truth that it was based on Alex's name. "Yeah, she did."

On top of her frown her little lips puckered, an indicator that she was in thought. Lena waited for her daughter to gather her thoughts, something that had been recurring quite often when the "Alex Topic" was opened. "Would she like to have for dinner tonight?"

Her mind drew a blank at the question, she blinked once then spoke, "You mean you want to give Alex some Albondigas?"

Lexie nodded.

"How 'bout we get our food then I'll text Alex about dinner with meatballs tomorrow." With that agreement and good timing, their food arrived all hot and fresh. "Thank you very much, Richard."

"It's no problemo, Ms Luthor. Happy to serve my favourite customer," he ruffled Lexie's hair and earned a squeal of delight. "Enjoy your dinner, pequeño." 

* * *

After dinner, Lexie wanted to watch clips of random NatGeo videos on YouTube. Lena had the videos played on their big screen and after ending up on the "Awee" side of the documentary clips she decided it was time for bed. Also, the time to broach the subject about Alex .

Lena combed her daughter's soft chocolate coloured hair. "Lexie, do you want to see Alex again?"

The little girl cuddled her soft tiger plushie, Stripes, close to her chest. The motion of the combing felt relaxing to her, "Yeah, I guess.. she's my other mommy, right?"

"Yes…but she will understand if you're not ready to see her yet."

"I wanna see her again…" her little body turned to face her mother. Lena picked her up. She walked them over to her princess bed and sat on the bed, letting Lexie face her. "She's nice and fun but I don' want her to replace you."

"No one is replacing anyone, baby." It was now or never. "But Lexie, it wasn't just Alex's fault that she stayed away." Lena made sure to keep eye contact with her daughter. "It was mommy's fault, too. Because I left her and never called her again."

"Why? You di'nt want me to have 'nother mommy?"

"No baby, I wanted Alex to be there…but I found out you were in my tummy many, many days after Mommy left Alex."

"But why you left?"

Lena took a deep breath. The reason was that she was selfish and then she was too proud to have called Alex when she found out about the pregnancy. She has had time to think over Alex's words, the woman was right, they would have destroyed each other with how their relationship was going. She was busy with impressing her mother and Alex was busy with so many things she never even took the time to know about. They were a bridge ready to collapse and maybe it was a good thing that it happened sooner than later. "Do you remember that little song from the Elsa voice woman?"

"Which one?" 

She laid on the bed, her whole body filling it up. Lexie crawled her way up to her mother while Lena pulled out the blanket and had Lexie laid down with Stripes always close by. She tucked the blanket up her daughter's chest and made sure Stripes didn't suffocate from it. "The one about the London bridge falling?"

"Hmmm...you were London bridge?" 

"We would have been if we stayed together. We would have been shouting and arguing a lot and it's not good," Lexie nodded her head in agreement. "Mommy was also afraid that Alex wouldn't have wanted to stay."

"But why wouldn't she?"

"Mommy did something really stupid and I think she got mad about it."

"But you apologized, right?" Lexie peered at her mother.

"Some things are too hard to do."

"Even for grown-ups?" She was wiped at her eyes trying hard to stay awake. 

"Yeah...what happened with Alex and I was really complicated."

"Adult shtuff...What? Aunt Sam said I could say that word."

Lena sighed. "Do you think mommy should apologize?"

Lexie nodded, "If it was bad then yeah...but it's comp'icated, right?"

"Sometimes," Lena spoke gently, "people have to climb up different hills and when they come -"

"Tumbling down?" Lexie giggled sleepily.

"Yeah," Lena chuckled. "When they come tumbling down at the same spot…"

"We clim' up 'gether now?" Lena looked down at her daughter, eyes already closed and Stripes happy to be suffocated from her tight hug.

She leaned down and gave Lexie a kiss on her head, she let herself stay in the comfort of her little girl as the thoughts of what she said lingered in her head. "Good night, my little Alexandra." 

* * *

Metal railings surrounded the open space of the top floor apartment building; the noise was nothing compared to the city. The clock was nearing 10 but the city was still bustling with bright lights and vehicles running from the big buildings to the small suburbs and vice versa.

"You know the shitty brooding look doesn't…look good on you, Alex." Lucy joined her friend who was looking over the big city. The group was talking loudly and cheering with their bottles of beer. "This party's meant for you, why is your ass all the way over here?"

"I'm not retiring."

"Starting next week you'll be gone. You might have as well fucking retired." The little spitfire that she considered a very close friend was also close to being drunk. Her mouth was freely spouting curses into her well constructed sentences.

Alex turned to look at Lucy, there was a bit of haze in her eyes, effects from the amount of alcohol she has consumed. "Aww…I didn't know you would miss me that much Luce," her smile crooked to the right and her voice was playful so she did not expect the waterworks to sprout from her friend's eyes.

"Ya stupid bossy ass Danvers! I'm never gonna miss you!" The tears she was wiping from her eyes begged to differ but she didn't push it.

"The week will go by, you'll see." She patted her friend's shoulder. "C'mon, before they drink and eat everything." She pulled Lucy with her to the spacious table filled with food and bottles of various drinks from wine to beer now littering the top.

"Alex! I do hope you enjoy your vacation," Brainy was completely inebriated along with Winn who was barely keeping his eyes open. She had invited the two along, they were friends of hers in the sense of the textbook. They made working at such an illustrious office feel a bit less scary and even stress free. 

"It's a visit to my mother," she rolled her eyes. The cushioned, fancy metal chair caught her as she took a seat. "I'm not sure how much of a vacation it will be."

"Try to have fun at the very least," John said.

"Okay-okay. Sheesh, you guys are forcing this relaxation on me too much."

"We care about you mini boss," said Jameson. His muscles looked like they were about to rip out of his shirt like some kind of Hulk magic.

"What Jamie said," Richard voiced his agreement. "I mean, we get to have a few days of just sitting back 'cause of you."

"I see," Alex drawled the word out then took a swig of her beer. "You're trying to get rid of me so you can slack off!"

A chorus of laughter filled the air, her own chortle mixing in. Assault Team 13 was the closest people she has considered as friends ever since she became part of the FBI and moved out on her own in National City. They've been through hell and worse, meeting and working with new people, like Brainy and Winn, was a form of reward she didn't take for granted. There will be more hellous missions to arrive and Alex was willing to put her life in their hands. 

"You got us mini boss," Vasquez laughed from her right. "We've been wanting to play paper planes in the office for a while now."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"'Cause you're like a mini John."

Alex's eyebrows scrunched. "That doesn't even make sense."

"What doesn't make sense is how you guys got the big boss to agree to come." Lucy pointed the tip of the bottle at John. "No offense." She added which John just shrugged to.

"Mm.. didn't need convincing." Jameson put down his drink and picked up the bowl, now empty of any food and was just a pile of sauce. "Richard just had to pull up the good ol' meatballs and the Big Boss came running!"

They were all completely out of it if they were laughing at Jameson's ridiculous antics. Hopefully the varying degrees of headaches they were going to be sporting tomorrow would be manageable.

Before 11 they all tried to clean after themselves but ended up making more mess on the rooftop of Richard's apartment. The least drunk ones helped the others get a ride. Winn and Brainy were picked up by their significant others while Lucy and Vasquez lived at the same apartment so that was two down with just one cab. They had to convince John to take a ride to his condo even if he had just two drinks.

"Jamie's staying at my place for tonight. What about you, mini boss?" Richard stood with Alex out in the streets. His clothes from when he arrived at his own apartment were still the same, a gray t-shirt, brown cargo pants and dark oak-coloured boat shoes.

"I'll be staying at my sister's, it's closer so I'll just grab my bike tomorrow after work."

"Sounds like a plan."

She arrived at her sister's apartment to find the place pitch black. As bright as the place was when it was daytime the opposite happened when it was night. She quietly closed the door with a click and removed her shoes before tiptoeing to the couch. Her hands felt around for the pillow and blanket she knew would be on top. In only her tank top and boxers, Alex lay down, ready for sleep to consume her but the darkness of the night was disturbed by her phone's bright light. Tiredly, she picked it up with squinted eyes when she read the text it made her sit up and grin like a fool.

_"Dinner tomorrow night? She wants to see you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it. And I wish I could write faster.  
> The song I was talking about was "Perfect Story" by Elsa...I mean Idina Menzel, it's a good song and I was struggling to simplify things that a kid would understand and the song came to mind. It's also -ding! ding! ding!- where the title was inspired from.


	5. Dinners are "Great"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We try to have dinner again. Sam thinks it's a "great" idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will not believe how uncooperative our internet has been.

If you asked around the 11th floor of the building, everyone would say how Assault Team 13 looked like zombies. They would mostly believe that someone had managed to create a virus that can manipulate minds and turn them into mindless soldiers because Assault Team 13 was the epitome of perfection and now they were mindless zombies.

"If you ever say anything to anyone about last night, I will kill you in your sleep Danvers."

Alex nursed a white mug with cartoon-ish words of "Best Sister-Cop Ever!" each letter a different colour. It was a gift she received just a week later when she told her sister she was working with the FBI. She hid her smirk behind the cup, taking the time to sip her second coffee of the day. She loved to rile up her companion but seeing as they were sporting awful, awful headaches she didn't push it. "I'll miss you, too, Luce." Well, maybe just a tad.

Lucy walked back to her desk grumbling. Lying and hate were the only words Alex could decipher. She glanced out the clear glass window of their office and saw some agents looking at them curiously. They were a sight to behold, Jameson, Lucy and Vasquez were obviously fighting sleep but they kept their head on and worked, very slowly, on their papers. Gomez wasn't as hammered as the others, herself and John included equaled a 3:3 ratio which was good enough for Alex.

Her phone vibrated and saw a text from her sister. 

_"Cheese or BBQ?"*_

Not a second later came another text.

_"I'll just get both. See you later! So excited for Sister's Night!"_

A minute passed and another different text came.

_"Lexie will bring her favorite Albondiga's."_

Guilt swarmed in her chest, so she had agreed so readily last night she was now in a tight situation. But she had a plan and it was fool proof. She had asked Kara to have Sister's Night at her place instead which would start at around eight o'clock which gave her two or three hours with Lena and Lexie whom she invited at around 5PM.

"Gonna be a busy night, mini boss?" Richard asked. He handed over some work and noticed Alex's phone kept vibrating.

"Yeah, sister's night." She accepted the papers and signed the ones with her name under a big, blank line. "You know how Kara gets about get-togethers."

"Oh yeah, how has she been?"

Alex raised her right eyebrow.

His eyes widened and jumbled words came out of his mouth trying to backtrack. "I didn't mean…I'm just really curious. Not in that way!"

"Mhmm… I thought so." Scare tactic still intact. "Kara's fine, wants to have a game night soon."

"You know I kinda know someone that can rival that eyebrow look."

"I doubt it." Alex grinned.

* * *

"We have enough sales from the water purifier." 

"Enough is not enough." Mr. Whitman was a man in his 60's, sleek black suit with an expensive brand printed on its tag. He's been part of the board for 34 years and Lena doesn't know if she can survive one more day of his comments.

"I'm sorry," Lena kept her composure, keeping her gaze on the old man, "I was not aware that the English Oxford has changed the definition of"'enough."

"What I mean Ms. Luthor," his deep, gruff voice reminded her of her old private tutor who taught them Greek lessons, "is we cannot just sell these things at a price wherein we get the exact amount that we used to make and ship them. And you're supposed to be a businesswoman." 

Lena's right eyebrow slowly arched. 

Samantha Arias had to hold herself back from pointing and ohh'ing at the old man like how their daughters did when she accidentally said a bad word. But she could not hold back how her eyes widened in alarm, you never say those kinds of things to Lena Luthor.

Lena stood before the board of directors with her back straightened and hands resting on the glass table. She made sure to make eye contact with each and every one in the room. Time passed. Minutes. Until she settled on Whitman again.

"Ronald," she began, "you've been part of the board for so long, with my father and then my brother and now me. You know what you are doing, I can see that." She smiled like a proud boss and he took the bait as his ego inflated before her. "Perhaps you would like to read these papers, personally written and double checked by myself," she pushed the copy towards the old man, "concerning the finances of your share in the project while you see yourself out."

It took one second for the man to erupt in anger. Three seconds for the security to grab him. Five for him to get out. Seven until his shouts receded.

Lena sat on the chair beside Sam and fixed her papers. "Mr. Miller, I believe it's your turn."

* * *

"I'm glad you finally fired that man. I thought for sure he was going to grow old on that seat."

Lena laughed quietly, she poured herself water while Sam decided that the fruit juice box she had as reserves for Lexie were more enticing. "I know he just wanted to get more money because he has a new little tramp."

The tall brunette pointed the straw at her, "You should have said that."

"At least 1/4 of the people in that board have a new woman every week. I hate to turn a blind eye but as long as their hands are clear of any laundering or scandal then.." Lena shrugged.

"Ohh…does this mean, I can have a woman every week, too?" Sam wiggled her eyebrows, earning a laugh from Lena. "I hear you have a new lady, too. Replacing me now? After everything, Luthor?"

Lena chuckled, "Shut up. It's just Alex."

"Since when did she become "just Alex?"

"I don't know..since my daughter found out about her?"

"How did little genius take it?"

Lena chuckled, "Well, she got a headache from the information overload."

"I mean even I, a grown adult, got a headache from your story."

The CEO let herself sit comfortably on the couch, legs folded underneath her as she sat with her closest friend. "It wasn't that bad, I think. After the whole thing, she started asking a few questions about Alex here and there. She also thought Alex was replacing me but I eased her on the idea of that." She paused. "Tonight we're having dinner again."

"'Cause the last one went so great," Sam raised her voice on the word "great." The sarcasm wasn't deserved but she understood her friend meant no ill will. Dinners seemed to always end up with some serious conversations and somebody being in tears.

"Lexie wants to see her again and I want them to have a good relationship," she explained. "They both deserve it."

"Lena," Sam rested her hand on her friend's shoulder, "hey, everything has happened already. You've made your decisions and she has made hers. Right now, you feel guilty and you think this is the chance to make everything right. But you should just do what you feel is best for yourself and Lexie."

"I hate how you know me." Lena sighed. "I should have told her the moment I found out but I was too proud and when I got over that I got too scared to call her. Lexie had turned one and I was busy with cleaning up after everything Lex had done and my mother suddenly decided to be a loving grandmother to my daughter and I never thought I would have to move to National City and now! Now everything is coming back to bite my ass!"

Sam silently sipped her orange juice as she let her friend ramble and finally let out her frustrations. "Feeling better?"

Lena hunched over with her head in her hands. "A little bit," she sighed.

"What about you and Alex?"

"What about?"

Sam shrugged, lightly treading the words she was about to speak. "I don't know her that much but you told me enough to know you meant a lot to each other. More than just being college exes."

Lena took in a deep breath and let her head fall back against the backrest.

_*_

_"You don't think she's just playing with you, Luthor?" Vanessa stood in four inch stilettos, towering over Lena, her crossed arms made her half plastic breasts almost spill out from the tight camisole she called a shirt. Lena was out in the campus quad sitting at the far most corner and hidden bench where she thought she would be saved from people by the likes of Vanessa Kerr. "I guess not having much choice in your relationships does that."_

_She closed her book quietly and decided to give the woman a moment of her attention. "A lot of the college men and women are readily lined to become my partner. For you on the other hand," she pretended to look around, "I don't see anybody. Now, if you don't mind, I think a small, insignificant tech company is asking for a position as shareholders in LuthorCorp."_

_The blonde moved back, anger displayed in the fire in her eyes but didn't say anything back at the young Luthor heiress instead she swiftly turned on her ridiculously tall heels and marched off._

_"Wow."_

_"Alex!" Her lips formed a smile at seeing her girlfriend. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I got out early. Favorite student and all that." She winked. "And I got these, too." She sat on the bench and pulled out the burgers and fries from the paper bag._

_"Big Belly Burger!" Lena exclaimed. "How did you…"_

_"I got Kara's friend to get it. He's really fast." They ate and chatted idly, it was like a small date hidden behind the bushes with just the two of them. Alex wiped the oil on her pants while Lena used tissues on her hands. "So, a full line huh?"_

_"It was nothing. I was just trying to throw her off."_

_"I'm glad I was first in line then." She grinned._

_Lena paused, the people who wanted to be with her just wanted to gain a position in her father's company. With Alex, she saw that every smile, every kiss and every touch was genuine and true. "Me, too."_

_*_

"She was," her voice cracked from the emotions she felt. "But everything is different now. I'm doing all this for Lexie if I try to bring up more of the past then everything will just get even more complicated."

Sam shook her head and silently spoke, "The past is already here, Lena."

* * *

"This is going to work," Alex had muttered these words for the past 10 minutes. She clocked out early at work to prepare everything, which consisted of mostly cleaning up her apartment and hiding her guns. She had ordered pizzas, burgers and fries, all of which she had asked permission from Lena first if it was okay for Lexie to have those for dinner. And with the go ahead, it was going to help her because she didn't have to order again for her and her sister.

Five minutes past 5:00 and the doorbell of her apartment rang. Alex unconsciously checked her clothes again before opening the door.

"Hey, I'm glad you could make it." Behind the door, her thumb fiddled with the doorknob.

"Hello, Alex." Lena greeted the woman before her. She moved to the side revealing a little Lexie in a long sleeved, polka dot dress with a baby deer print and white jeans. In her hands was a tupperware filled with meatballs. "Lexie?" 

Her head ducked down shyly and in a small voice greeted Alex.

"Come in,” Alex said.

The apartment was an open space style, much like Lena's own penthouse. The living room greeted them once they entered, to the right was the kitchen and countertop and further inside was a raised flooring and Alex's bed. 

Alex gestured to the couch, "Make yourself comfortable. I know it's not the most homey but ya'know…" she shrugged at the end of her sentence.

"The place is wonderful, Alex." 

They set up their food on the coffee table. Alex brought out the pizza boxes, Lena grabbed the takeout paper bags from the counter and set out the burgers and fries. With Lexie's favorite meatballs set on the right everything looked perfect. The smell of pepperoni and cheese wafted through the air. A moan of hunger and a little grumbling came from both brunette's in the room.

Lena laughed at how the two were very much alike not just in appearance but even in mannerism. Alex looked a bit sheepish but Lexie had decided she wanted to eat now.

"Lexie, don't you want to tell Alex something first?" Lena sat on the couch, she was still in her work clothes consisting of a tight skirt and blouse. She was glad she decided on a red one, at least any stain wouldn't become obvious.

Just as her little hand was about to grab a slice, Lexie retracted it and looked shyly at Alex. "Mmm...umm.... I don't want you to replace mommy." Her hands clenched the skirt of her dress and her little brows furrowed as she looked at Alex. "But I wanna sing songs and eat lotsa ice cream with you and play at the playground.” Then her face softened, “I want to get to know you."

Alex felt like she couldn't breathe. In a good way. Her daughter wanted to know her and that was better than having to go through lawyers just to have time with her. She didn't expect things to go smoothly and she didn't want to force herself in the picture either, but this, dinners and playdates are perfectly fine right now. She held herself together and kneeled down on the carpeted floor, levelling her to Lexie's height. "Me, too. And that's all I want. I know it's confusing but we'll go at your own pace. Can I give you a hug?"

Lexie nodded and hugged Alex back just as tightly. "What if I'm slow like a turtle?"

"It wouldn't matter even if you were slow like a snail."

Lexie giggled.

"So," she pulled away with a big smile, "movies?" Alex grabbed the remote and selected the streaming site. She handed it to Lexie, showing her how to control it and letting her choose the movie. While the little one was distracted over all the choices, Alex sat down on the couch, a good distance between her and Lena. "Thank you, Lena."

"You don't have to thank me," Lena replied in a quiet voice. "You deserve this, deserve to know her. Just promise me you won't hurt her, Alex."

"Of course not Lena. I would never...she's my daughter, maybe I'm bound to do something she won't like but I would never intentionally hurt her."

Lena did not say anything anymore but accepted her answer with a nod. 

"I'm sorry if it's not the healthiest kind of dinner."Alex said, trying to change the subject.

Lena shrugged, grabbing a box of the Big Belly Burger. She smiled upon seeing how little the look of the burger has changed. "I'll admit, it's not my first nor tenth choice but it's been long since we've eaten fast food."

"How long exactly?" Alex asked curiously.

"Hmm… two months maybe?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock, "How is she alive?!"

"It's not like it's a necessity kind of food," Lena rolled her eyes and took a bite of the burger. The juicy meat, the fresh tomato and crispy lettuce had not changed at all. Everything blended well in her mouth. "You're overreacting."

Alex smirked, "Says the one that looks like she's about to cry from a burger." The other woman only glared, her mouth being full from her second bite. Alex grabbed her own burger as Lexie finally settled on a movie, of course it was one with singing involved. She moved, leaving a big space between her and the little one but she was surprised when Lexie pulled her closer until she was fully trapped between her and Lena. They enjoyed the movie and food. Lexie having a new favorite food in the form of a pizza. 

"If we have to eat pizza for the next coming weeks and I get fat, I blame you."

"You'll still look beautiful I'm sure."

"Shut up…agent."

"Um.." Lexie shyly peered below Alex.

"What is it, Lexie? You can ask me anything." She turned her body to face her daughter better. 

"Ruby said spies get to have guns. Do you have one?" Her hazel eyes shone brightly, her smile wide and an eager look on her face.

"I do," Alex said, although her own smile didn't reach her eyes, "but they're not toys and they're not always fun to hold."

"Why is that? You get to shoot bad guys!" She exclaimed happily. She clasped her hands with the pointer fingers out with one eye closed. She set her sight in front of her, following the character moving on the TV. "Pew! Pew! Pew!" 

"Lexie," the CEO started off gently, putting her daughter's hands down to her lap, "what Alex does is not a game. Not like what you and Ruby do on weekends."

"Oh…" her shoulders slacked, the excitement from before dwindling down, "they're like the real bad guys."

"Yes, my little darling." Lena ran her hand down the long, brunette hair of her daughter. She looked at Alex. "We encountered… real bad guys once in Metropolis. Once, that was too close of a call."

"Hey," she leaned down a bit, catching those eyes the same as hers. The eyes speak louder than any part of the human body, is what she has been taught so she conveyed her steeled resolve into her own brown eyes. "I won't let any real bad guys near you. Not ever again." 

"Really?"

"Yes. I promise."

The CEO could hear the sincerity in Alex's voice. Once again the feeling of guilt made itself known. She remembered all the times of how sure Alex was on having a family while she was hesitant about spreading anymore Luthor blood but the moment she held Lexie in her arms she wasn't going to let a massacre, crazy brother and selfish, unfeeling mother get in the way of letting Lexie have a better life. "Dinners are going to be a mess for us, huh?"

"Hey, at least we got food." 

"Alex!!" The door flew open as a woman with a stack of boxes in her hands entered, "I've been trying to call you - oh."

Lena's eyes were as wide as the surprise visitor. "Oh."

"Uh-oh." Alex gulped, she had completely forgotten about the time. She checked her phone that she left on the counter and saw the text messages and calls, all from Kara. "I'm so sorry, Kara. I didn't realize the time."

Kara set the box of donuts on the counter and sighed. "I thought something bad had happened to you."

"I'm sorry."

"Will you stop apologizing and explain instead," she was a bit annoyed at Alex, her sister was an FBI agent a lot of things could happen to them. However, she was glad this scene greeted her instead of a bruised or even bleeding Alex.

"I - I invited them over for dinner.."

"And you thought you could get them to leave by the time I got here." Kara said knowingly. 

"Uh..yeah.."

"Alex." Two voices, one annoyed and one sympathetic, sounded out.

Kara and Lena looked at each other and smiled. The two had found a friend in each other. They met through Alex but became best friends on their own. Kara had been welcoming since Lena arrived in National City, she had expected anger thrown at her but Lena was wrong to think that the first thing Kara would do was to slap her. Instead they met on a different sort of turf of interviewer and interviewee.

"You should have told me you were having Sister's Night," Lena said, standing from the couch. "We could have rescheduled."

"I know but.. I really didn't want to," Alex said to Lena then turned Kara. "And I didn't want to cancel out on you either."

"Well, since we're all here and I got two boxes of sweets at the ready, do you guys have room for dessert?"

"Dessert?!" Lexie couldn’t help exclaiming. She had an inkling of what kind of dessert was in those boxes.

"We don't want to impose any further," Lena said.

"It's okay, Lena. You're here already and you kno you're always an exception to sister's night." Kara gave her lopsided grin, that little kind that made Lena believe in her. "Besides, the little kid needs some sweets after those."

Lena sighed, "You're both ruining my child's diet." Her glare was mostly sent to Alex who squeaked in indignation at being the only victim.

The blonde carried one box over to the already full table and opened it with a glamour. "Ta-da!"

"Donuts!" Lexie's eyes widened in excitement but looked over to her mommy to be sure she was allowed to get one.

"Only one," Lena conceded. She sat back down and chuckled in delight as her daughter thought carefully of what to take. These ones were quite big in size; she hoped Lexie didn't get a sugar rush from it. After Lexie picked out a pink frosted, rainbow sprinkled donut, Kara practically shoved the box in Lena's face and she chose a simple glazed donut.

When both Luthor's grabbed theirs, she set down the box on the side and grabbed a slice of pizza. "Ohh…these look good," the blonde pierced one and bit half of it. "Mmm...it's so good. It tastes kinda familiar."

"We bought them from a restaurant." Lena supplied while Kara devoured another piece. "Alex please close your mouth and sit down with us."

Like on autopilot Alex did just those two things and sagged on the seat like a sack of potatoes. Her mind was still reeling at the situation. Her ex and her sister were casually talking to each other, didn’t fights and slapping usually happen between those? Especially when the break-up was awful?

"My foolproof plan..." 

"Foolproof?" Kara snickered. "You may be an FBI agent but you kinda suck at just being a person. You could have just texted me and told me you had a very important family date." She pointedly looked at her older sister who had finally gathered herself and started glaring at Kara.

"Or," Lena chimed in before an argument broke out, "you could have told me you already had plans with your sister."

"It was foolproof." Alex could only pout in defeat while the other two completely disagreed with a shake of their heads but loving smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to make up for this late-ness.


	6. Sister to Sister to Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We continue the night. Kara and Lena have a conversation while Alex and Lexie, kind of, bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make up for the late upload of the last chapter.

Alex had finally relented and admitted defeat. She still apologized a lot to both women, she felt as though she cheated the two.

Kara snorted, almost choking on the pizza she was eating. She now sat at the side of the coffee table on the pillows from the couch. They had decided to watch a new movie that wasn't a cartoon but still fell under children's movies. "Alex, it's okay. You should have just said something and be human."

"Oh, I'm sorry "Ms. Stares at Flying Birds Like A Weirdo."

"Hey! I just love birds, okay?"

"Birds fly so high!" Lexie stretched out her arms, almost smacking Alex in the face. "Oops."

"It's okay, just be a bit more careful," Alex said. With a bit of hesitance she reached out to pat Lexie on the head, she let out a breath when she just smiled at her then went back to watching the magical movie.

"Hey Lena wanna help with all this?" Kara gestured to the now empty boxes and tupperware. Before the woman could say anything back, Kara had put the boxes in her arms and pulled Lena up on her feet. Before she was fully out the door Lena was able to yell back at Lexie to behave.

The two people on the couch were left wide eyed as the door slammed close.

“I think there’s a trash can over here.”

Lena followed the blonde, away from the elevator and to the other side of the hallway. There was a small trash can at the end, used mostly for ones that were probably not the size of 18” pizza boxes but Kara put one of the boxes and started forcefully putting them in. “Kara.”

“It’s gonna fit,” Kara groaned, she punched the box dead center then put the empty box of donuts right on top. She turned to face Lena who carried two more of the infuriating things.

The CEO decided to set the trash on the top box gently before Kara decided to punch them, too. With her hands now free of any object she started fiddling with her black coat, unsure of the next thing to say or do. Kara wanted to talk to her, that much she realized, but she didn’t know about what because there was a lot the question “what” entailed. What was happening, what was she doing in Alex’s apartment, what, what, what.

Kara looked at the woman before her. Twenty-eight years old, only a year younger than her but Lena had two PhD’s, a large background on science related courses and now a big shot CEO of one of the biggest businesses in National City but right now in front of her, Lena was her best friend who helped prank Alex on her birthdays, who loved to make explosive experiments just for Kara’s enjoyment, who loved the holidays as much as she did and understood Kara’s yearning for her old home. Lena stood in front of her in uncertainty and Kara realized she just couldn’t say the incensed words she had thought of many times from before.

“Kara,” Lena spoke quietly, “I don’t know where to start exactly but whatever questions you have I’ll try to answer them all.”

The blonde sighed, mostly to herself. She was so ready to let out the words, ready to be the sister who confronted her big sister’s ex but she realized Lena was her sister, too. Alex told her her side of the story perhaps now it was time to know Lena’s side. “Well, I don’t need to ask about Lexie’s other parent.” She started out the easy but complicated topic.

Lena was wide-eyed at the direct statement but she answered with a nod of her head. “She’s a lot like her.”

* * *

Back inside the apartment, Alex and Lexie were both content to watch the movie. Alex noticed Lexie was slowly inching closer to her when she looked at the little one she sat rigid like a stone so Alex let her daughter do her thing. She started thinking of something to talk about but she didn’t know what to topic with little kids. The job thing was out, considering how serious things went just moments ago.

“Ruby would love this movie.”

Alex almost jumped from her seat, Lexie was sitting right next to her and unlike her mother she didn’t have a hard time thinking of a topic. “Yeah? How long have you known Ruby?”

“Well,” Lexie started off with an air of certainty like her mommy, “she’s known me for longer when I was in mommy’s tummy but I’ve only known her for four years.”

 _Ah, Luthor technicality, right there._ “I guess you’re right. So that means your Aunt Sam has been with your mommy for a long time.”

“Yeah, Aunt Sam is nice and gives me cookies.” Lexie slapped her hands on her mouth and looked at Alex with wide eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” Alex was internally panicking. Did her daughter just choke on some invisible object or food? Did that kind of thing even happen?!

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone!” Her voice was a bit muffled with her hands still covering her mouth.

Alex let out a deep breath. She was FBI agent dammit, she can keep it together for a few more minutes. Alex knew her sister was probably grilling Lena as of the moment. This is her chance to get to know Lexie more and prove herself a responsible parent. “It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone about your little secret.” 

Lexie held out her left hand and stuck out her pinky. She looked at Alex seriously, “Pinky promise!”

Alex wanted to laugh at how adorable the little girl looked with her brows meeting at the center and all the seriousness a 4 year old can muster. The redhead entertained her and hooked her pinky finger with her daughter’s own. “I, Alex Danvers, pinky promise not to tell anyone of your secret.” Lexie giggled. Maybe not that responsible. “Especially not your mommy.”

“She won’t be mad, right?” She asked worriedly.

Alex thinks Lena might actually already know about it but for the sake of the pinky promise she didn’t tell her that. “No, I don't think so. Between us, I think she hides chocolates in the 2nd drawer of her desk."

"How do you know?"

Alex shrugged, "It's an adult thing."

Lexie took that answer and went back to watching. Alex heard her say that adults were weird and had to keep in the laugh and watched the movie hoping Kara and Lena were not killing each other.

* * *

"You never answered my calls. You changed your number. You never called me back. I understand the whole break up thing with Alex but I'm your best friend. You could have talked to me."

"But Alex is your sister."

"You know I treat you as my sister, too!... Okay, I can see the dilemma."

Lena let out a small chuckle. "I wanted to. I couldn't count the number of times I picked up my phone and dialled your number but I could never do it." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to keep her away from Alex or you for so long. But I've always been such a coward." The tears made their way down her face. Her shoulders were shaking from the sobs, the sadness that she had learned to bury deep inside was bubbling up the surface and into sobs.

Without a second of hesitation, Kara wrapped her arms around Lena in a bone crushing hug. She let the young CEO let out her cries. "You're not a coward," she murmured. "Far from it, Lena. You raised that beautiful, little girl all on your own and she is the most amazing niece already. I just wish you would have contacted me, I may have been annoying and rant-y but I would have helped you in any way I could."

Lena shook her head, "I wouldn't have been ready to face you. Not with how things went." She sniffled. "I don't know what you would have thought, although a hug was the last thing I expected. God, this is all a mess." She wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her jacket. "I'm a mess!"

"When it comes to Alex, you kinda are."

"Thanks." Lena rolled her eyes. She decided to sit down on the floor, across the trash can, thank you very much. She may be sitting on the floor but she is Lena Luthor, so with the grace of a ballerina she sat on the tiled floor, her legs paralleled and bent at the knees.

Kara sat next to her with a plop and crossed her legs at the ankles like a child ready to listen to the story.

"I don't think you understand how sorry I am. I was selfish." Her voice was small in volume but she had finally admitted it out louder than a whisper to herself. "I made Alex choose between me and basically her life and future. My brother was running for the Senate that time, they wanted me to go back to Metropolis and help with the public image. I was still that foolish little girl that believed Lillian would ever truly care about me but all she loved was her golden boy."

"You weren't foolish." Kara said with conviction. "You shouldn't have to chase after a mother's love." She and Lena had met because of Alex although their friendship formed because of their own efforts. They were both adopted and there was a sense of relief for Kara that she had someone who understood that small feeling of longing for a place that no longer existed. Although Lena was still very young, she had few memories of her old life and while Kara had ended up with the Danvers and with Eliza as her new mother, Lena had ended up with an old, fairy tale stereotype of a stepmother. 

Lena bit her bottom lip and quietly agreed but she didn't comment on it, instead continued with their previous topic. "And so I asked her to come with me, we would have worked at L-Corp together but she didn't want to and I gave the ultimatum of staying but never seeing me again or we could finally start on our dreams of working together in a professional lab. She didn't have to say anything for me to see her mind was made up of staying. So I left Alex and she never came to the airport, like I believed she would."

"So there's not much difference from Alex's own story. Except on your side you thought she didn't care at all." Kara spoke while she picked on a loose thread on her blue jeans. "I still think Alex was stupid. She should have just told you of what she felt that time. I also agree with you, you were selfish. I think if we did meet somewhere four years ago. I would have been really angry."

"I'm sorry."

"It's done now." She faced Lena, whose eyes were red at the edges but the same bright, green irises. "We can't go back to change anything from the past. We're all here now though, Alex and Lexie seem to be working out how their mother and daughter relationship will go and I just want my best friend back."

"Me, too."

"So why did you keep Lexie away?"

Lena opened and closed her mouth until she set on an answer. "I thought that everything I had with Alex was nothing to her so when I found out that I was pregnant, like any other parent, I wanted to keep Lexie away from the evil pains of the world."

"And you considered Alex to be part of the “evil?" Kara made connotations with her fingers.

"Even if her goals were for the good. She still broke me." It was like she had no control of her tears now. She didn't cry when she left on that plane four years ago, she didn't cry when her brother went crazy, she didn't cry when she left her mother. The only time she had cried was when she was finally able to hold Lexie in her arms even with all the tubes connected to her daughter. "At that moment while I stared at those glass doors in the airport, not seeing even a bit of her silhouette just broke me. Not just my heart but me. Lexie may have been an unexpected gift but I’m grateful to have her. I was still angry with Alex when I saw her on the day of the bombing I wanted to burn her to the ground but when we told Lexie, she admitted that she didn't chase after me because she thought of our relationship and how we were headed to nothing but doom. Her intentions may have been good but I didn't see it that way. I just knew she made the decision to let go of our relationship like those six years meant nothing."

“It never meant nothing to her." The blonde said quietly. "I guess Alex has always had an insight on certain things but she always sucked at just saying her feelings and thoughts.”

“Do you think we should have broken up?”

Kara sighed, “I can’t answer that. I did notice your arguments were increasing but I’ve always been a romantic and thought you guys could get through it but I forgot this isn’t a place of fairy tales. Maybe I should have said something.”

Lena shook her head, “No, that was an unfair question the same way it was completely unfair to have put you in the middle of our fights.”

“Well, someone has to get in the middle of you two before you started pulling up magic potions." Lena smiled at the memory of grabbing a random beaker filled with what she knew was just alcohol but had threatened Alex with when the redhead didn't get out of the lab. The two stayed silent for the moment, thoughts running in their respective minds. 

Ever since Alex's father died she had taken the mantle of being their family's protector she had extended that protection unto Lena when they got together. They were alike in many ways but she forgot how much they differed as well. Alex took actions often thinking of others rather than herself, far too often she forgot about her own happiness and her own protection. "She's always been such a knight in shining armor."

"Yeah, so you probably know she's an FBI agent?"

Lena nodded. "But I don't understand, she's always loved the laboratory."

"I don't know which one of you spent the most time in one though." She gently nudged Lena with her shoulder. "But yeah, imagine my surprise when she told me over one of our video chats that she joined the FBI. She loves it though, going out there and making a difference no matter how big or small the mission she's given she gives her all. That's something that hasn't changed. But now that she knows about Lexie…"

"Change is inevitable."

* * *

Alex looked at the time and it had been an hour. The movie was closing to the end and Lexie was trying to keep her eyes open. _"I hope Kara didn't kill her. Or vice versa."_

"Lexie, do you want to go to sleep now?" It was 9PM and Alex was quite sure that was way past her bedtime. 

"But mommy…" she rubbed her eyes and her mouth opened in a big yawn.

"She'll be back soon but if your eyes are a bit tired you can rest on my bed."

Lexie moved her head side to side. "Finish movie and wait for mommy," she said.

Alex relented but only a few minutes went by when she felt Lexie's head against her arm, she saw that the little girl was fast asleep and Alex sat stiffly like a board. She kept her gaze on her daughter, her physical features were closer to Alex with the hair, eyes and nose. But her mouth paired with her smarts was more Lena.

Gently, Alex moved her down to lay on the couch. She put a throw pillow under her head and let her rest against her lap. "I love you so much Lexie. I wish I would have met you sooner. No, I wish I was there from the start of your journey. I hope you'll give me the chance of being your mother."

* * *

Lena and Kara wrapped up their talk by exchanging numbers and making plans for future lunch times and family dates. 

_"Family huh."_ Lena was still hesitant about that word. It was an odd one, if she were to create a tree with the branches holding up an adjective that described the word family it would be crazy, pretentious and manipulative. There were few words she'd consider to be positive and would use on herself as a mother, like strict but nothing like how Lillian harshfully disciplined her.

She considered her and Lexie to be family. The good adjectives grew when Sam and Ruby came into her life. Now she wished Lexie had nothing but positive words for family.

"We should get going, I didn't mean to take so long," Kara said.

"What did you plan then?" They started walking back to Alex's apartment.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you off then apologize for telling you off."

Lena chuckled, "Of course you would apologize. Listen, Kara," the blonde faced Lena as she stopped before the door, "I just want to move on from the past and Lexie deserves to know Alex and your whole family. I admit I'm a bit scared with how things are going to work now but she deserves all the love in her life."

 _"The love you didn't get the chance to have."_ Kara thought to herself. "Everything will be alright, Lena." She smiled and entered the room. Lena followed after her. The site that greeted them was the most adorable scene. Alex was fast asleep almost on the edge of the couch. She laid her head on her own arm while her right hand was placed protectively on Lexie, who slept peacefully beside her cuddling the throw pillow as replacement for her stuffie.

Kara squealed and Lena immediately slapped a hand over her friend's mouth. Giving a silent warning to Kara with her eyes.

"You should wake her up."

"But they're so cute!" She whisper-yelled.

"She's going to have a crook on the neck."

"Alright, alright."

"Mmm…no need. I'm awake." Alex sat up slowly, careful not to jostle Lexie. Kara and Lena stared innocently at the redhead. She rolled her eyes, "FBI agent, remember?"

"I'm sorry to have bothered you." Lena said as she sat on the couch's arm. She moved some of Lexie's soft brunette hair.

"No, it's not a bother." Alex tried to make eye contact with the ravenette and continued when she caught those green eyes. "She's my daughter, too. I want to be in her life in whatever form she accepts me. Let me be there for her."

Lena nodded, "Of course, Alex. I'm not going to keep you away from her. We should head home though, it's late."

"You're right about one thing," Alex said, "it is late but you should just stay here. You can have the bed. Kara and I will sleep here." Alex stood from the couch. Her sister had already grabbed the extra bed sheets from the closet and sat before the Danvers sisters, Lena had no choice but to agree.

"Here, Lena." Kara proffered some clothes to her and she gratefully accepted.

"Would you mind carrying her to the bed while I clean up a bit?"

"Uh…Y-Yeah..sure.." 

"Thank you."

The bathroom door closed and Alex was left staring at her daughter.

"What's wrong?" Kara moved the coffee table to make more space on the floor. "You've carried kids at least a dozen times before," she said, setting the small foam bed down.

Alex bent down and carefully, almost too carefully, picked up her daughter and held her close to her body. The little brunette burrowed further into her other mother's body and let out a content sigh. Alex's eyes teared up and she held Lexie close for just a moment longer. 

"Yup," Kara spoke suddenly, catching her sister's attention, "motherhood looks good on you." She smiled seeing Alex beam in joy.

Alex walked up to her bed and put her daughter down gently. She took off Lexie's shoes and set them on the floor beside the nightstand. The long sleeved shirt looked fine but the jeans seemed too uncomfortable for sleeping. The bathroom door finally opened and Alex stood stunned. Lena was in her jogging pants and Post Malone fan shirt. Although they were both the same height now, Alex's clothes were still on the smaller side so everything looked a bit... tight.

"I hope you don't mind, I grabbed these for Lexie," Lena held up a pair of her workout shorts.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the jeans might be uncomfortable for sleep."

Once Lena had Lexie changed, Alex still stood by the bed. Lena looked at her as Alex shifted her gaze from Lexie to Lena. Their eyes locked and for each other they saw the same set of eyes from four years ago, a mixture of emotions ran in their hearts and showed in their eyes, so many unspoken words. They were tiptoeing each other, avoiding the broken glasses surrounding them. They were trying to work together yet they also wanted to stay far from each other.

Alex finally broke their eye contact.

"Good night, guys!"

Lena almost jumped from the bed from Kara's sudden outburst. "Good night, Kara…Alex."

"Right, good night." She quickly went to the living room, seeing Kara happily snuggled up on the couch. She sighed and laid down on the foam bed set on the floor. When the rustling on the bed stopped she closed her eyes and wished for sleep to instantly come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed. It was a bit jumpy from the serious talk to the little convo's of Alex and Lexie but I didn't want to make one big paragraph with Lena and Kara's conversation. Leave a comment for this messy author!


	7. Unplanned but Welcomed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vacation while there's school and work to do?! Sam and Andrea are surprised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead but our internet connection on the other hand...  
> Thank you for everyone who comment and kudos. Appreciate ya greatly!

Lena woke up on the most comfortable bed in her life. She wanted to sleep for a long time here but something kept grabbing at her consciousness and prompting her to open her eyes. 

_"I don't remember redecorating."_

Clang!

Bang!

Clank!

She panicked and quickly sat up. She feared that Lexie had gotten to the kitchen and started making breakfast for them. She was right on that matter but Alex was with their daughter. Lena wiped her eyes and looked around the whole place.

 _"We stayed overnight."_ She remembered that she and Kara had such a long talk, which for Lena was still a bit unfinished but they had taken until 10pm. When they got back both Alex and Lexie were asleep so they had stayed by Alex's generosity.

"Mommy!" Lexie exclaimed from the perch of the countertop. "We made breakfast!" She gestured at the set of pancakes, eggs, bacons, hams and sausages. There were pans and plates on the sink, their mess was clear all over the kitchen and Lexie was not saved even with the supervision of an adult.

"Everything looks delicious," Lena grabbed a tissue and wiped the flour on her daughter's cheek. "Also very messy."

Lexie whined. Lena looked at Alex and sighed. She rolled a few more on her hand and wiped the combined flour and egg mixture on Alex's neck. The redhead stiffened for a moment but relaxed when Lena pressed on.

"Like mother, like daughter," she whispered that only Alex heard. 

"Um… Sorry we woke you."

Lena shook her head, "I was already awake. A curious four year old makes you wake up earlier on Saturdays."

"Hey!" Lexie pouted at being talked again like she didn't exist. She was clearly right there but them adults were acting like she wasn't! What was with that?

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I don't mean anything bad but the monster pan-waffle has given me nightmares." She started tickling her daughter and the little brunette started laughing loudly and reached out for Alex, screaming for help.

"I've got you, Lexie!" Alex grabbed Lena by the waist, causing the woman to squeal at being suddenly picked up from the floor. Alex turned around and set Lena on the floor, away from Lexier. She quickly grabbed Lexie and put her over her shoulder like a little sack of potatoes.

"Run, run, Alex!!" She laughed joyously as they ran across the place and got on the bed. Her mother ran after them, wriggling her fingers in front of them. 

Lena jumped on the two little devil's on the bed and started tickling both of them. Right on their weakness spot: their sides.

"Uncle! Uncle!"

"Noooo! No more!!

Both girls shouted out at the same time, waving the metaphorical white flag but Lena didn't relent until the door opened to a sweaty Kara carrying two paper bags. The trio on the bed abruptly stopped as the blonde stared, Lena and Alex were flushed in embarrassment but Lexie still sported a big grin, oblivious to the sudden shift in atmosphere. Lena realized she was kneeling on the bed and mostly straddling Alex's right leg. She slowly shifted off and tried to calm her beating heart.

"I uh..grabbed some bagels and those brioche you like, Lena."

"Thank you, Kara. You didn't have to."

"It's no problem, this is how mornings are after sister's night," she said, putting the bread on a plate and pulling out three cups of coffee from the other paper bag. "Alex sleeps in while I take a jog before grabbing breakfast." She pushed the coffee cup to Lena, seeing how her friend's eyes zeroed in on it.

"Mm-mm... You're literally a lifesaver."

Kara puffed out her chest and set her fisted hands on her waist, "You can call me, SuperKara!"

Alex snorted, "Right, come on Super Dork. Before we eat this all up." She sat by the table with Lexie, who already had her mouth full of the ham. The two best friends joined them and enjoyed their breakfast. Kara supplied the topics, staying on lighter and random things which Alex was thankful for. Her sister might not have the best street wittiness but she understood situations and right now, it wasn't a time for the past to rear its ugly head. Alex wished things could just stay like this forever. _"Maybe one little change,"_ she gazed down at her daughter and she felt her heart grow. She has a daughter. A wonderful and smart little girl who loved science and magic at the same time. She doesn't know how things will go from here on out but Alex knows she will protect Lexie from anything and anyone. 

"This has been wonderful," Lena said, "but we should get going I think we've overstayed our welcome."

"Lena, know that you're always welcome here," Alex spoke sincerely and Lena broke away from their eye contact.

"Right, thank you. Although, I still have some work to do and I need to inform my assistant of scheduling back a few things." She picked up hers and Lexie's plates, Alex following her lead. They walked over to the kitchen sink and started cleaning the place. Kara had decided to be the one to distract Lexie with a game on her phone. The exes worked silently and smoothly, a few of their mannerisms still remained the same. 

"Thank you, for giving me another chance," Alex quietly spoke as she washed the dishes while Lena dried them.

"I already told you, you deserve this and it’s not me who is making the decisions now, it’s Lexie."

"Oh…of course, I just think we should talk, how things are going to go."

"Lawyers won't be necessary anymore." Lena set the dishes on the side. "We can figure out schedules on our own. She wants to know you, you two can be together on Saturdays and Sundays then maybe we'll change that once she's comfortable with you and have her around on the weekdays.”

Alex followed Lena's logic. Weekdays, Lexie would have classes but Alex worked all around, sometimes with unexpected schedules but she wanted to bond with her daughter and maybe now would be a good time. "I took a week of leave these upcoming days."

Lena stayed quiet letting her continue.

"Maybe you can join us at Midvale."

"Ohh!! That's a good idea." Kara chimed from the couch. "Eliza would be thrilled!"

Both women suddenly paled.

"Mom."

"Eliza..." Lena murmured. "Umm.. I'm not so sure about that, I can't just leave the company."

"Come on, Lena! You're literally the CEO. The boss of the company. I'm quite sure you can do whatever you want."

"Not exactly as simple as that," Lena said. 

"Mommy, where's Midvale?" 

"Midvale is where your Momma Alex and I grew up and where your Grandma Eliza is currently staying. It's a small town but there's a big beach and maybe Alex will teach you how to surf."

Lexie excitedly started bouncing on her seat. "I wanna surf. Can we go mommy?"

"You know we can't Lexie. It's not vacation time, you have school and I have work."

"Aww…but Ruby and Aunt Sam went to Canada when it wasn't vacation time."

Lena closed her eyes and started rubbing her temple, she cursed her friend in her head, even when physically not around Sam caused chaos. Lena sighed then opened her eyes to two sets of puppy eyes. "Oh no," She shook her head vehemently, "No. No. And no is the answer. Stop that Lexie, seriously, Kara?! Alex help me out here." 

Lena turned to face the same kind of puppy eyes on Alex. She groaned in annoyance. "I'm sorry Lena but Eliza needs to know sooner than later."

Lena peeked over to the couch and relented with a sigh. 

"YAY!!!" Kara and Lexie started bouncing on the couch already talking about the things they can do and the snacks they were going to bring for the road trip.

"Sorry Lena but if it helps Eliza will for sure kill me," Alex chuckled in a depreciating manner. She didn't want to put pressure on Lena but Eliza deserved to meet her granddaughter and she will probably get more of an earful because her mom always had a soft spot for Lena. *"It probably runs in the family."*

"Well, I better prepare two coffins because she will kill me for keeping her granddaughter a secret for four years." Lena pulled up her phone and started texting her assistant. 

"When are we gonna go mommy?" Lexie excitedly asked.

"I have a lot of meetings to adjust, papers to sign and experiments to finish." She kept texting on her phone as she paced the small space behind the couch. "I will call Jess later at 1 and have Sam call Andrea to help with L-Corp. We have to go home now."

"Okay," her daughter agreed with a pout. 

"Kara, think you can get us something to put our clothes in?"

"Uhh…sure." The blonde moved towards the bathroom slightly afraid of the CEO voice her friend was using.

"Lexie,” Lena stated firmly then gestured to the bathroom with her head, “go help." 

Alex waited to speak until the bathroom door closed, "Lena, I didn't mean to pressure you."

"But you did." Lena glared, "I was hoping to have Lexie introduced to your family bit by bit."

"You just said you wouldn't have introduced my own daughter to me if I never found out."

Lena turned away from the redhead in frustration. Yes, she did say that. She hoped she never had to see Alex in her whole life but National City was the majority vote when she had decided to move the main company away from Metropolis. 1.9 miles isn't that far for Lena but they wouldn't accept the move to Japan. "I don't want to fight with you right now. I agree that Eliza should know about her soon but maybe you could have given me a bit more time before I orphan my daughter."

Alex's look of surprise turned to a grin. "She might get mad but she won't kill you. Me on the other hand..." She shivered, already fearing what her mother would say or do. "You forget what my mother is like, she's the nicest person to the strangest people."

Kara and Lexie made a bit of a ruckus inside the bathroom and emerged with a black backpack.. "We found this old backpack Alex doesn't use anymore."

Lena gratefully accepted it and took Lexie by the hand. "Thank you Kara and I'll make sure to send these back to you, Alex."

With bids of goodbye, Lena led her daughter out of the apartment. She had already texted her driver, who had been waiting for ten minutes now. The ride back home was quiet. Lena checked the new schedule her secretary has sent and made to double check them. Lexie stayed quiet and still but her left hand fidgeted with the shorts she wore last night that were from Alex. When the car had parked back at their penthouse Lena had sent her approval to Jess and her two friends, Sam and Andrea, sent her the same question: why.

Lena asked Helen, her other secretary, to take care of the clothes in the backpack to be sent by her driver to the laundry shop. She quickly changed out of the clothes and grabbed her own shorts and sweater from her own closet. She plopped back on her bed, it was only 10 minutes past nine but so many things had happened.

"Am I in trouble?" 

Lena looked towards the bottom of her bed. Lexie stood slightly behind the door, she was still wearing Alex's shorts. Lena sat up, cross-legged on the bed. She beckoned her up and Lexie ran towards her, slightly struggling getting up but she succeeded and hugged her mother tight.

"You're not in trouble. Although going on vacation on days with school is not going to happen again." 

"Yes, mommy."

"How do you feel about your aunt Kara?" 

"She's nice and fun. She said potstickers are the best food in the world! But I said it's Mr. Alberto's meatballs."

"Mhmm…what about Alex?" Lexie shrugged.

"She's okay…"

Lena laughed, "Just okay?"

"Well I dunno. She's my other momma but I don't know her at all."

Lena took notice of the word she used but she didn’t hear Lexie calling Alex that, maybe she was just using a specific noun to describe her or maybe she was just overthinking again. Lena thinks she can understand what her daughter means. After her mother’s funeral, she was quickly whisked away to the Luthor mansion and was introduced to what would be her family from then on. She remembered Lionel telling her that Lillian was going to be her new mother but she doesn’t remember what she felt at that moment. Maybe confusion, like Lexie, or just utter ignorance.

“But she’s good and she said she will protect us from baddies and she made all the breakfast foods I asked.”

 _”Of course,”_ Lena thought to herself, “So you only like her because of the food?”

“It’s why I love you,” She stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh I see how it is.” Lena started tickling her daughter and blew a raspberry on her cheek. “If you’re just going to like people because of food you might get kidnapped by your Aunt Sam.” Remembering her other best friend, Lena set her daughter on the bed and grabbed her phone. Lexie snaked in between her arms and sat in the middle, watching her mother text her aunts.

“Going on a vacation to Midvale,” Lexie gasped and turned to her mother. “Really?!”

Lena nodded and got a big hug in return. She was able to press send and the text arrived to both her friend’s phones. She decided to put it away for now and get them bathed first then have lunch and then Lena will have to arrange some things. Again.

* * *

It was currently nearing 2 o' clock and both Luthor’s have been doing their own thing when there was a knock at the door. Lena was at the kitchen counter while Lexie was on her own tablet in the living room. They made eye contact and Lexie exited her game on the tablet then started swiping and typing on an application. The television turned on and showed two women with a girl outside their door. 

“Lena, I know you can hear us,” Sam Arias shouted but her voice could be heard perfectly from the TV speakers.

“Or more like see us,” Andrea Rojas looked directly at the miniscule hidden camera they had put in the corner of the doorframe.

Lena sighed and let her daughter open the door. “Hi Aunt Sam, hi aunt Andrea, hi Ruby.” She greeted all three visitors. “Mommy is hiding in her office. Ruby! We’re going on vacation!”

“Yeah, it’s why Mom brought me here suddenly,” Ruby followed the little girl into the living room while the adults went directly to Lena’s office.

Lena’s home office was almost like a duplicate of the one in L-Corp albeit smaller and had a cozier feel. On the walls were different paintings and drawings made by Lexie. They were mixed in with the framed awards about L-Corp and Lena. On the left side of the office was a long dark blue couch and on the right were two bean bags occupied by two proper looking stuffed toys. The CEO’s desk was a sleek, white and modern design with a built-in, small bookshelf, the ones on the bottom were filled with fairy tale books while the ones on top were Lena’s more complex stories. Both sets varied in thickness and when Lena was busy with papers from work, Lexie would pick a book and sit on the beanies while she waited for her mommy. The desk had cups filled with pens, papers were strewed about but there were also small trinkets of miniature toys of microscopes and books. The room looked odd but to the two adults it showed the harmony between mother and daughter. 

For Andrea, she didn’t know what to expect from the break-ups to the sudden arrival of Lexie. She was more afraid of what would happen to Lena and the company but now she could see that she had nothing to worry about. Not with how seamless the office looked even if it was filled with all these children’s things.

“A vacation?”

“To Midvale?”

Lena set her head on the table and groaned. Such actions would be greatly reprimanded by Lillian but she had learned to let herself a bit free especially when it came to her friends. “Yes, you have been badgering me about taking days off and now that I am, here you are storming into my home-office.”

“Because this is so abrupt and out of nowhere and - and-"

“And Midvale?” Andrea asked with disbelief. “Lena, I have much better places for you to go on vacation with the little one.” She took a seat on one couch while Sam took to sitting right on her desk. Both were in casual clothings of jeans and blouses.

"Lexie, wants to go there.”

“Doesn’t Alex live there?” Andrea raised an eyebrow at Lena. She was more willing to be blunt with her friend about her ex than Sam who tended to be careful with it.

Lena decided to clear things out. Sam already knew about the dinner so she had to catch-up Andrea. She informed them both that things went well, that they have ended up staying overnight and now they were going to Midvale. “And if I do, Eliza might just spare my head,” Lena finished.

“She doesn’t seem to be that kind of person though,” her Puerto-Rican friend spoke. “I’ve met her only a handful of times back then but she seemed nice and probably wouldn’t want a murder case on her hands.”

“I just want to finish this whole ordeal, make schedules for when Alex gets to have Lexie over at her place and maybe I can go back to living my life like the old times.”

“By the old times... you mean?” Andrea asked.

“Like before I knew Alex was in this city.”

“So, your old, boring self with the old boring schedules," Sam supplied.

“I’m sorry, am I any different now?” Lena leaned back on her hair, arms crossed with her signature eyebrow raised.

“Well for one,” Sam started, “this whole situation is far more interesting than any show on any streaming site.” She showed an unknown media with an article about her and the photo of her and Alex at the park as their click-bait. There was nothing substantial in the article at all. “You know, all this time we’ve been talking about what Lexie wants but what about you Lena? What do you want?”

Andrea may have been the blunt one but Sam had always been better with emotions and Andrea was glad she came into Lena’s life at such a crucial point and maybe she, herself, was thankful to have known the CFO.

“I know you said you don’t want to be selfish anymore but that doesn’t mean forcing yourself in situations you don’t want to be in.” Sam said.

Lena relaxed her stance and thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I do want to go to Midvale. I do want her to meet Eliza. It feels like things have started unraveling all at once and I have no place else to run. I might as well get things over with."

"You have hidden my little prodigy for how many years," both women rolled their eyes at Sam's statement. "Now that she has started pre-school the media has also started to know more about her."

"So you're saying the Danvers would have known about her anyway?" Andrea asked.

“And Lexie would have eventually asked about her other parent,” Sam said. She was saying it as something she knew was inevitable, it was probably a question that Ruby had asked once upon a time.

“Right, so I need you,” Lena turned to Sam, “to manage things while I’m gone." She looked towards her friend on the couch, "and I need you to make sure she doesn't screw it up."

"Uh. Excuse you," Sam stood indignant, "I have experience on this, too. It's not my first rodeo."

"I think she means for you not to get shitfaced after work hours," Andrea smirked.

"You guys are the absolute worst."

"Yet you love us anyway," Lena said with a sweet smile. "Now if you're done, I would like to prepare my bags."

"Make sure to bring lingerie."

"And a bikini."

The two quickly scrambled out of the office barely dodging the stuffed toys that were thrown at them.

"Mommy! Not Mr. Teddysvelt and Ms. Eleanor!"

* * *

"Hi Mom," Alex hesitantly spoke into the phone while her sister ate all her junk food.

"Alexandra, don't you dare tell me you are cancelling the trip!" An angry Eliza shouted through the phone.

"No! No, don't worry, I'm not," she reassured her. "But I am bringing some...friends over.”

On the other side of the line, Eliza paused and took note of her daughter’s very obvious pause. She has met some of Alex’s friends from the FBI and would be happy to have them over and she said as much to Alex over the phone. “But, remember, I know you Alex.”

Alex gulped, “Yeah, I’ll make sure they don’t make too much trouble.”

“It’s fine, it’s not like you’re a bunch of kids.” Oh, how wrong she was on one account. “How many are we talking about?”

“Oh, just two.”

“Alex…”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, dear.”

“Love you, too, mom.”

“Love you Eliza!” 

“Sheesh, Kara, don’t shout in my ear.” Alex thrust the phone to her sister and let her discuss all the food that should be prepared. They chatted for a while then said their goodbyes. “How do you think it will go?”

“With you guys, crying and a whole lot of misunderstanding seem to be a thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #BlackLivesMatter


	8. We Go Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We arrive at Midvale! We'll be staying for five whole days! We meet Eliza! What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got sucked into youtube's stupid algorithm.  
> Just know I appreciate all of your comments and kudos...*insert u-w-u face*

The sisters met up at the address Lena had given them. While they were escorted by the butler they stared at the large mansion and the expensive things around them. Apparently it was where Lena kept her private cars.

Lena had bought the mansion on impulse. After getting time for herself, she decided to go on a site she would have never thought of: YouTube. Watching through random videos of million dollar mansions she found this one that had a large underground space. The underground may have been made as more of a place for partying and wine cellars but Lena had turned the space into her own personal laboratory. 

The butler had Alex and Kara directly escorted to the garage. There were 11 cars to be selected from and while Kara just stood in reverie, Alex moved from one car to the other with what could only be described as love in her eyes.

Alex wanted to take the Lamborghini but it was obviously not a smart choice with a kid with them. They took Lena’s Lexus ES. Of course it was the one with the Ultra Luxury name on it. Alex drooled at it, yes it was supposedly a family car but it was a Lexus! She had gaped at the vehicle and caressed its matte black hood reverently. Lena stopped her from opening the hood and possibly reverse engineering the engine.

They were going to be staying at Midvale for five days. Five long days. Lena had no idea what was going to be in store for her. She brought only casual clothes as instructed by Kara. She also brought her and Lexie's swimwear because they were surely going to have a swim. Right now she was in blue, denim jeans and a red, pleated blouse.

Lexie seemed excited for the whole trip, with food on the road and lots of swimming at the beach. Lena had reminded her they were going to stay at Alex's mom's place. Who was her grandmother. She grew apprehensive when her mommy brought that up, grandmother's were scary. Ruby even agreed with her but the older girl told her she should behave herself then maybe the mystery grandmother would be nice enough to let her go swimming.

Alex didn't know what she was feeling it was all mixing up inside her. Fear, excitement, nervousness. She didn't exactly know how her mother would take this all in. Suddenly coming home with her ex and the child she kept secret from them for four years. What exactly did one say or do in those circumstances?

Kara on the other hand was mostly excited. Going back home was always a treat, she had to finish a load of work before Snapper signed her leave and she was thankful to Nia who helped her and was glad to take some of the work. While the city noises made her feel and remember her old home, Midvale brought calm that helped her relax and blank out her mind, from the stress of work or the haunting thoughts of the past.

They drove early and were now closer to Midvale than National City so it was too late to really turn around for Lena. The car was filled with pop songs from Kara’s playlist and said person was also controlling it from behind. Lexie was happily bopping to the song while Kara sang along to the lyrics. Lena was driving and Alex sat with her in the front seat. While the two at the back had tons of topics to talk about and random games to play, the ones up front were quiet and tried to focus straight on the road. Alex, in her ripped jeans, grey, long-sleeved shirt and favourite leather jacket, sat comfortably at the front. But after examining the whole dashboard she would look out the window then back at the dashboard. Kara tried to have them talk to each other or just include them into their I Spy game. 

“I spy….something...green and spiky.” Lexie sat comfortably in her carseat. She wore a denim skirt with her long sleeved, princess shirt. Her and her aunt Kara were snacking on some biscuits and taking full advantage of the cool cup holder with her iced tea.

“Tree.” Kara said, holding out the bag of biscuits to the front.

“No.”

“Leaf?” Alex guessed, taking a handful of the biscuits.

“Wrooong!” Lexie exclaimed.

“Pine leaf.” Lena answered.

“Correct mommy!”

“Okay, but leaves are the same.” Lexie stuck her tongue out and laughed when Alex did the same through the mirror.

“Alright, amateurs,” Kara said, rubbing her hands together and looking not too far around. They were nearing Midvale, trees, dirt and the road were the only objects around them. 

“Says the one who said trees,” Lena smirked, but kept her eyes on the road. The car may have next level GPS but she wanted to be a responsible driver in front of Lexie. Even with her own added tech into the car. She may have done the same to her Mercedes Benz since she didn’t have a family car back then but she needed to drive over to Sam’s place with baby Lexie. Her personal car was more horsepower and style than safety but she trusted her tech more than anything.

“We are nearing our destination.” The robotic voice sounded out. To Alex it honestly felt a little creepy, like it was nearing the voice of a human. 

Lena saw the look on her face and spoke, “This is an AI I made myself. Her name is EVE.”

“Eve?”

“Eve like in Wall-E!” Lexie shouted.

“Awee, that’s cute,” Kara commented. “Did you name it Lexie?”

“Yeah! ‘Cause she’s good and makes the air better.”

“EVE is mostly installed into my cars and I made this one a filter of some sort, to make sure 100% of the air is filtered clean and a good 1% chance it’s transformed into clean oxygen again.”

“How is that possible?” Alex asked, her voice carried curiosity.

“It’s a bit complicated.”

“Try me.”

Kara kept her mouth shut but was unable to keep from smiling. Science was their number one thing and although Kara could keep up with them it didn't truly interest her that much. While Alex and Lena on the other hand lived and breathed science. That was why it was so surprising to her when she found out her sister became an FBI specializing in the field rather than in labs but Kara loved her sister and supported her in everything that she did. Except maybe the drinking too much part.

"...and that's how I got it to filter out the carbon dioxide. They function like our lungs in some way."

"That is amazing, Lena. Why not sell it as well?"

Lena raised a brow.

"I heard about the one that filters water to a 100% cleaning rate."

"It's technically only 98.86% but they seemed to have decided to round that off." She scoffed. "I should hire a new PA."

"Well, technically, it is close," Alex said, she didn't want anyone being fired. Lena was a real pickle when it came to accurate data. The redhead didn't see anything wrong with the round off, people probably wouldn't have cared anyways. "But back to the air filter, why not enhance it and sell it to car companies?"

Lena chuckled, "Because my board of directors have banned me from my own labs."

"Can they do that?" Kara asked from the back.

"They didn't directly say it but it's close," Lena said. "I understand though, I'm a CEO now, I have meetings within meetings to keep up with and.." she hesitated for a moment," if I want to turn it away from the shadows Lex has put it in, I have to keep them happy or at the very least content." She shook her head with a condescending smile.

"That's pretty stupid," Kara said.

"It's what pays to have this." She gestured to the car.

"I agree with Kara," Alex spoke, "to keep them happy you have to sacrifice your own."

Lena raised a brow but she was more curious than anything else. "Well, what about you Ms. Special Agent Danvers, what happened to that Master's degree?"

"I did finish but I've kinda found peace with being in the field. It's a different kind of adrenaline."

Lena nodded, she didn't quite understand why Alex would suddenly go into being a field agent but she couldn't say much either because she hasn't had the time to do her experiments. The only free time she has within the day is three hours. Not enough time to even create a hypothesis. 

"Are we close?" Lexie spoke up. She had learned to be quiet when adults talked. It wasn't a very clear memory but it was there. An older woman, her grandmother, getting really, really angry at her when she said something while the adults were talking to each other. And while her mommy said that it was rude to suddenly butt in when people were talking, she promised she wasn't going to be punished but she will get reprimanded and that was all.

"Actually," Alex started with a big smile, "I think we're here." Her childhood home came into a view. The pale indigo paint was a bit cracked from the corners, there was some moss under the gutter but with the imperfections of the aged house was what made it feel more like a home. On the front porch, a woman stood up from the small bench, a look of surprise was evident on her face. Alex looked over to Lena and she was gripping the steering wheel tightly. Unconsciously she reached out to grasp Lena's hand, "Hey, we go together, right?"

*

_Lena was panicking about the exams. Something she never did but Alex had made her oversleep and she lost an hour of time to be able to review._

_“You’ve literally reviewed for two days,” Alex sat cross legged on Lena’s bed. “You need rest to actually be able to answer during the exam.”_

_“Alex, I have a scheduled time for my reviews and it also specifically said “Ask Alex to wake me up” which I did last night.” Lena took a deep breath, she was obviously very angry at Alex but the redhead only wanted to make sure Lena had enough sleep because she understood how hard the exams can be and how long the hours of studying were. “I’m not like you, Alex, I can’t just breeze through exams.”_

_Alex frowned. “Just because I don’t have a big fancy name like your doesn’t mean I'm just breezing through my tests. People always have to prove themselves no matter how big or small their name.”_

_Lena kept reading her book but the words weren’t registering into her head._

_“I’m just looking out for you,” the redhead whispered. “You’ve been reading up late at night. I just wanted to make sure you were getting enough rest.”_

_Without turning around Lena quietly apologized. Her shoulders jumped when Alex’s arms wrapped around her, the redhead hugging her from behind._

_“We go together right? Even in these stupid times.”_

*

Lena's eyes were still filled with fear but she nodded at Alex. The redhead got out of the car, followed by Kara, they went to get their bags from the trunk. Lena took a deep breath.

"Mommy? Is she going to be just like grandmother?" 

The young ravenette exhaled. "No baby, she's far from it." With that knowledge Lena got the courage to open the car door, she stepped out but didn't look towards the older blonde on the porch. She went to the back and got Lexie out of her car seat. Lexie grabbed her little princess backpack and silently grabbed her mother's hand as they walked up to the house

Alex and Kara had grabbed all their trolleys and bags. They hugged their mother and when they let her go, Eliza couldn't keep away the look of surprise on her face. The little girl looked a lot like Alex when she was at that age, only the darker chocolate hair was different but the rest was all the same especially those brave looking brown eyes.

_"This is going to be a lot of now or never moments."_ Lena thought to herself. She found herself staring up at the Danvers family while she and Lexie were still standing on the ground pavement.

"Is she..?" 

Lena put on a small smile but before she could say anything Lexie stepped forward.

"I'm Alexandra Keera Luthor...and um… I'm your granddaughter." She finished unsurely but still stood proudly.

Eliza walked down the steps and lowered herself to Lexie's height before speaking. "It's very nice to meet you, Alexandra."

"You can call me Lexie, ma'am."

"Well, then you can call me Grandma Eliza."

"Gran'ma…" she spoke slowly, testing out the word. Her grandmother felt cold and stern but her gran'ma felt warm and kind.

* * *

The group had an early lunch, Eliza had cooked a lot, she expected two grown adults rather than one and a half. It was probably why Kara had given her some ideas on what to cook because she knew there was going to be a kid with them. Eliza couldn't stop looking at the little girl, she only had quarters of each food on her plate.

"Would you like some more beef, Lexie?"

"Umm…" she looked to Lena unsurely.

"Remember what I told you in the car?" Lena almost whispered. "Far from her."

Lexie looked towards the woman who was also her grandmother from Alex's side. "Yes, please." She held out her plate.

Soon everyone settled into their seats and dug into their food, complimenting Eliza for the taste and her cooking skills.

"Lena," Eliza spoke, her tone gentle. "I hear you are the CEO of LuthorCorp now."

Lena stopped herself from cringing, "It's simply L-Corp now."

"Of course, I apologize."

"It's fine and yes, I am. My mother didn't want to run it so I took the position," she said.

"I've heard so much of your works. From children's hospitals to scholarships and then those projects to help poor countries with sustainable techs, it's unbelievable."

Lena felt crying. Perhaps Eliza was just trying to be civil but her words sounded so sincere all she could do was croak out a small thank you.

"You have always been quite intelligent but your heart being in the right place is what makes you special."

If her adversaries only knew that the way to make her cry was not to hurl painful or even crushing words but a few sincere and kind-hearted words had her tearing up.

"And you've always been too kind Eliza." Lena said, "It's not just me, it's the whole company, there are good people that work there and that includes my friend Sam."

Alex's fingers twitched.

"Sam's been my rock since I've taken the position," Lena continued. “Has helped in the finance department greatly while guiding me through Lexie's first year along with my friend Andrea. Tough love is their motto but they're both softies at heart."

"This Sam sounds wonderful," Eliza said. "Is he your partner?"

"Aunt Sam is a girl," Lexie giggled but then clamped her mouth and looked over to Eliza, who sat across her mommy, to see she was chuckling as well.

"I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me."

"What's - what's pre-sump-tus?"

"It's assuming. I assumed Sam was a boy because that's what the name Sam is usually connected to." The bravery was Alex but that look of curiosity was all Lena.

"Mmm… I think I got it."

"Also, Sam is just a friend."

Kara saw her sister's shoulders relax and started tapping on the table. Alex did the same when she finished.

"Would you two stop." Their mother held a stern look.

"Was that Morse code?" Lena asked, keeping in her laugh.

"No," Kara scoffed, "why on Earth would we learn such an old secret technique of language just to speak to each other in secret?"

"You two wrote each other messages in class using the transposition technique."

"I can't believe the teacher didn't know it," Alex said with a proud grin on her face.

"Is that why you got into a football team?" Lena blurted out the question without thought and by the look of surprise on Eliza's face she had no idea about this small shenanigans.

"Care to explain, girls?"

"It was Alex's idea!" Kara pointed at her sister with wide eyes.

"Traitor," Alex muttered. "I was offered to practice with them not join them." She pointed out. "Besides, it's a pretty handy communication set on the field. If we were being tapped others wouldn't understand except for my team."

"Why football?" Lexie asked, curious to know more about the uncool spy stuff Alex does. "Oops, I mean, excuse me."

"It's okay, Lexie," Alex smiled at her smaller counterpart. "Well, football players like all other sports make a plan to form an offensive attack and the quarterback is kind of their leader "

"Are you the quarterback?"

"Yeah, kinda for my team at least. But there are higher ranked people, I guess we can call them the trainers and coaches who tell us what form of attack we should do."

"Ohhh… sports is comp'icated."

"I can teach you about some of it if you want. I'm not a big sports fan myself but I've hung out with people who really like them so I have some ideas on it."

"Mmm...okay," she answered and went back to eating.

“Honestly, Alex, when will you stop giving me a heart attack?" 

"What? It's not like I ever got plummeted."

"I was literally called to the hospital because you got a concussion." Lena said.

Alex scoffed, "Minor accident."

"Alex Danvers!" Eliza's voice raised a bit higher than normal.

Lexie’s eyes shifted between Alex and Eliza and was surprised when Alex just kept grinning at her obviously angry mother. When grandmother was angry her mommy would stay quiet, never raising her voice when she answered back but there was a look of anger on her face. Seeing Alex just smiling innocently was very, very far and different.

“What will I do with you?” 

“Love me more?”

“Now you’re an FBI agent and Kara is chasing down dangerous leads for the magazine. You’re both constantly giving me a heart attack. I’m going to die too early for my taste with you two.”

“You’re overreacting and we both take care of each other, me more than Kara - "

“Hey!” Kara cut in.

“- but you get the gist.” Alex continued speaking as if she didn’t hear her sister.

“Alright, enough.” Eliza shook her head but a fond smile was on her face. She will constantly worry about her children. Alex would only call a few times in months but Kara kept her updated on situations and the going-ons in their lives. She loved her daughters and as much as she supported Alex’s decision to be an agent on the field, every time she got a call that something bad happened to Alex she would ask her to just take in the position of a scientist. But all the time Alex would calm her down, decline and get back up again. It was admirable to many people but to a mother it was a little terrifying. “How about dessert?”

Kara lit up. “Pie?”

“Chocolate pecan pie.”

Lena started grabbing hers and Lexie’s plates but Eliza shoo’d her away. Eliza asked them to go outside where they’ll have the dessert while she made Kara and Alex help with the cleaning. Lena took Lexie’s hand in hers and led her to the Danvers backyard. Her eyes glanced around the house, the place still looked and felt the same.

"Mommy, it's you." Lena looked over the wall filled with framed photos. Lexie was pointing at a small one that had Eliza, Kara, Alex and Lena in them. It was a bit tricky to capture only using a camera on a tripod and the timing was always off but they finally got it in the end. It was her first Christmas with them and it was the best one she has experienced. The Danvers family have always been kind and accepting. She was nervous on her first day but quickly became comfortable and felt at home here more than any place she had been to. 

“You look young.”

“Am I not young anymore?” Lena raised her eyebrow.

“But you’re older than I am.” That innocent smile on her face was looking a lot like Alex’s.

“Come on,” Lena rolled her eyes playfully, “their backyard has a view of the beach.” Lexie skipped along and when they arrived outside she ran towards the fence edge and saw the big waves crashing against the tall cliffs. “Be careful, Lexie.”

“It’s so big mommy!” She shouted back to her mother. Lena opted to stay back on the porch and keep a close eye on her. 

“Pie time!!” Kara came out of the door carrying a large platter. Alex was close behind her with Eliza’s beautiful dessert plates. The sides were lined with gold and at the center was a simple lily flower in gold lining.

“Only you would get so excited about pie,” Lena said.

“It’s Eliza’s famous chocolate pecan pie,” she said as if that explained everything. It did though. It was the infamous chocolate pecan pie that even Kara couldn’t replicate.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten this. With all the fancy restaurants you’ve been to this might have become last on your list of desserts.” Eliza sat on one of the lounge chairs. She sliced the pie in equal sizes and started putting them on the plates. She offered one to Lena first then grabbed her own plate.

Lena bit her lip and glanced towards Lexie who was now joined by Alex and Kara. She decided to sit on the couch, across Eliza, keeping the small wooden, acacia table in the middle. _"Surely she realizes the sadness that will come from Kara if she threw these at me.”_

“Lena,” she started, that soft look in her eyes was still there, her smile small and gentle, “how have you been?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> messy, messy author.


	9. It's Kinda Downhill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's kinda downhill. Eliza and Lena talk. A little mystery in the making?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello.

The Danvers family had been scary to Lena. Not in the way most people thought the word scary connotated. They were the nicest people on the planet but if you wronged one of their family or closest friends it was war. The kindness and fierce love they had for one another was alarming to the young CEO. It was different to the form of love she had with the Luthor's. If it could even be considered love was still a question to her. To have love, you had to be great, intelligent, proper, well-mannered and perfect all around. Lionel may have loved her, even for a small bit. Lex had loved her, from before the campaigns and the want to become president in the future. Lillian, she couldn't be quite sure if the woman had ever known or felt love. 

When Alex arrived in her life, she had let her learn the feeling of love. It wasn't only in their physical touches but she also felt it in the simple acts of texts and dinner and the soft gaze of her brown eyes.

When Lexie arrived she finally understood unconditional love. 

Is that what Eliza felt when she first held Alex in her arms and then when Kara arrived? When she first came for the Holidays, she said she considered her part of the Danvers then. Were those motherly instincts still there?

"I've been good. The company is taking up a lot of my time but I make sure to give time for Lexie as well."

Eliza nodded, "These years are the most precious then they turn into teenagers and can't wait to push you away."

Lena chuckled, "I hope she doesn't go through the same emo phase I did."

"Or Alex's punk phase. Imagine if she combined that."

"Please don't." Both women laughed, catching the trio's attention. Lexie waved her arms perched from Alex's shoulders.

"Mommy, Alex says we can go around down to the shore." Lexie was breathless but her smile was big and wide. 

"You don't want to eat first?" Lena asked.

"Mmm…" her fingers twitched but eyes glanced to the loud waves again.

"Alright, later then." Her daughter wasted no time careening Alex into a horse as the woman walked quickly down the path that Lena remembers led down the shore. Kara grabbed a plate and put in two slices of the pie before following after.

"Don't break those!" Eliza shouted and Kara just gave a thumbs up, mouth already filled with food. 

"Some things never change." Lena shook her head.

Eliza hummed in agreement. She looked back at Lena taking notice of the years that had passed. The lids under her eyes were a bit dark, crinkles that were caused by her smile appeared on the sides. Her body sat straight, shoulders back and firm. Sitting before her now was a woman, in every sense of elegance and power the word meant. "But some things do."

"Eliza… I'm sorry for having kept Lexie from you and your family. I never intended to keep her a secret, especially not this long."

"But?"

She took in a shaky breath, "I was selfish and too proud to call you. I only thought of the pain I could put on Alex and completely forgot about your kindness towards me. Even after we broke up."  
"I told you, I consider you part of the family. Being part of the Danvers family means getting obnoxious Christmas cards from me." The older blonde had still sent Lena some Christmas cards, they were sent through L-Corp's mails. She only found out about them when Jess informed her about it. It was hard to miss a bright red card in a mail full of white letters.  
Eliza turned towards the table and sliced through the pie, the pecan nuts looked beautifully toasted and the bits of chocolate chips that both combined perfectly into that sweet, nutty flavor. 

“I wish I would have been there for her first year," Eliza said. "I've missed that baby smell since Alex decided she was all grown up to get dressed on her own and ride a bike with no training wheels." Her eyes held that misty look when people reminisce about a memory. "She looks like her."

"Yeah she does." She paused, her hand going to her tummy. "Whenever she kicked a storm in my stomach, Alex often came into my mind. Especially when she stubbornly made me wait a few more hours before she decided to make her arrival."

“She was born around after Lex’s trials,” Eliza carefully tread the topic. “I can only assume she might have been born a bit too early.”

“Yes, I’m lucky she only had asthma due to it and she has been growing quite well, maybe a bit short for her age but everything’s been fine as by the reports of her pediatrician.” Lena’s back was now rod straight, keeping eye contact with the older woman. 

“Lena, please, I’m not here to fight you. I simply want to know more about my granddaughter. Her being premature is not your fault, that much I know.” Eliza put down her plate and Lena followed suit. She stood, walked around the table and sat beside the young woman on the rattan couch with minimal space between them. She took her hands into her own and felt them shaking. She tightened her hold then slowly rubbed her fingers in a soothing, circular motion until Lena’s hands stopped in their tremors. 

“I’m sorry!” Lena cried out. “I’m so sorry.” She let her head fall down on Eliza’s shoulder, letting her tears fall down, her words were a bit gibberish at some point but her apology remained. “I just...I wanted to call you, or Kara or even Alex when I went through with the pregnancy but I was so stupid." She raised her head and with red rimmed eyes and a runny nose she looked at Eliza. “You have been more of a family than the Luthor's. I even hoped that once Lexie arrived maybe they would care for her but Lillian just used her and Lex had gone manic."

Eliza cupped the young ravenette’s face and decided that maybe she was wrong, Lena was only 28 years old and held so much weight on her shoulders. “You’re such a strong girl, Lena. I wish you didn’t have to take things on by yourself.” She wiped away a few more stray tears then took her hands again. “Whatever happened between you and Alex is between you two. I know Lexie is the most important factor to both of you now but you need to discuss things by yourselves as well.”

Lena quietly nodded.

“We all need to move on. I don't like the fact that you didn't reach out to us but we can't do anything about it now. We'll just focus on the present. I know you’ve probably talked about everything with the others as many times already so why don’t you just tell me about Lexie.” And talk they did, for only a few minutes because said little girl arrived soaking wet with her guardians equally dripping wet.

“We were splashing!” Lexie exclaimed.

“You could have gotten your swimsuit first,” Lena said.

"Sorry," a sheepish Alex said, "I didn't think I would get so carried away with it."

"Alright, all three of you go and wash up. I'll show you both the guest room. Then after I reheat the pie you can have some snacks before helping me with dinner tonight." Eliza took Lexie's hand in her own and was glad the little brunette accepted it. She took notice of how Lexie hesitated before the entrance. "It's alright, we can get the floor all dried up afterwards."

She was still careful with her steps but followed after her gran’ma. She showed them the room they will be staying at, their bags were already inside. Eliza left them to heat up her pie again and the mother and daughter were left together in the room.

Lena had Lexie stay in the bathroom while she got some dry clothes for her. She made sure the water was warm before allowing Lexie in. "Are you enjoying yourself, baby girl?"

"Uh-huh! Kara said we can go to the town tomorrow. There's a really good diner that Alex said all of you used to eat at. And then - and then we can rent out bikes and go around the town." All the while she was talking Lena had her soaped and rinsed. The excitement from her daughter was contagious.

"I can't wait for all of that."

The kitchen was rather rowdy and loud. A site that never happened in Lexie's old house no matter where in the mansion. Although the house wasn't as big as their mansion everything felt 10 times better for Lexie. They sat around the table. Kara already had two more pieces on her plate while Alex, leaning against the kitchen counter, was halfway through her own pie. Eliza made sure Lexie was able to try the pecan pie and was absolutely delighted when her granddaughter loved it.

"What did I tell you Alex?" Kara pointed her fork at her older sister. "Best dessert on the planet and I've been to 11 different countries."

"Wow! That's so many."

Kara grinned, "My Dad used to take me along to his business trips. "

"Your real dad?"

"Lexie!"

"It's okay, Lena." Kara said then turned towards Lexie. "Yeah, my biological dad was some kind of businessman and travelled a lot. He took me with him when I got a bit older."

"Mommy how come you don't take me to your places?"

Lena raised an eyebrow at her daughter, “I remember taking you to New York with me just some time ago and you said it was boring.”

“Well it was,” Lexie said with a pout. “What about grandpa, what does he do?”

"Your grandpa was a scientist," Eliza answered. She grabbed a photo that was pinned on the fridge. In the picture were Alex and Kara in their teenage years. In the middle was a man with dark brown hair, his eyes showed glee as he smiled for the camera. "He is in heaven now. He was a wonderful man and he would have loved you so much, Lexie."

"My grandfather is in heaven, too. Maybe they're having their own fun up there." 

"I think so, too, sweetheart," Lena spoke. Her father may have had her through an affair and was a drunkard at times. But he greeted her on her birthdays and gave her gifts. He tried to be that father who read her bedtime stories. He supported her through many ventures she did in school. He was in no means a perfect father nor man but he was good. 

Lionel died when Lena was still around high school so Alex never got to meet him but in what she did know, he was a ruthless man in the business world. Lena didn't hold him up in high regards but he seemed to have loved his daughter in his own ways and he was smart, incredibly smart. She snapped her fingers and all eyes were on her. "Didn't Dad enter a contest by LuthorCorp years ago?"

Eliza's eyes lit up and she went scurrying to the living room. She brought out an old scrapbook, containing photos, articles from magazines and newspapers and even objects like a leaf and flower. “Here,” the scrapbook was opened on a page with a cut out article. On top was the header, LuthorCorp Advancements: Transmogrify Us. On the left side was a photo featuring Lionel Luthor with a very young Lex and with them was Jeremiah Danvers, holding up an atom-shaped trophy, the three were all sporting big smiles.

"Oh my gosh," Lena stood up from the chair and took a closer look at the photo. "Huh, this was just a month before I was adopted." She said, seeing the date on the article, January 17, 1997.

"Uncle Lex has hair," Lexie commented. "And grandfather's with grandpa but how?" She tilted her head in question.

"It was a contest, sweetie," Alex set her plate down. She stood beside Lexie and read a line from the paragraph. "Jeremiah Danvers, a well-known scientist from Midvale, wins the prestigious award of LuthorCorp's yearly event of Advancements this time centered on human progress."

"Wow, this is kinda weird," Kara said. Eliza admonished her with a single look but defended herself. "What? It kinda is. Jeremiah and Mr. Luthor met before in an international science contest. Sounds familiar?” She looked pointedly at the ex couple.

"You’re overthinking," Alex shook her head. "Dad was a big science nerd. He entered a lot of contests whenever he wasn't involved in a big project. This isn't the first time he entered a LuthorCorp event either." She turned the page to the previous one and it was of Jeremiah being in 3rd place in a different contest but still held by LuthorCorp.

Lena wiped Lexie's chocolate streaked chin, getting a bit of whine but quickly went back to eating her pie and looking at the scrapbook. Lena didn't believe in coincidences but Jeremiah and Lionel being in the same photo was sheer luck of life. Like Alex said it was something that was bound to happen with how involved Jeremiah was with scientific projects. "Does that mean Jeremiah worked at LuthorCorp at some point?" Lena asked.

"Yes, since part of the award was a position in their labs but...he only worked for a few months. He said his next tests had failed and he was fired," Eliza simply explained.

"Is something wrong Lena?" Alex asked, seeing her frown.

"No, it's just..." Lena paused trying to form the thoughts in her head. "L-Corp boasts to have the best scientists. Jeremiah, from what you've all told me about him sounds like an incredible scientist."

"And you're questioning why he got fired," Kara's voice took on that note when her reporter side was coming out, "because he won that contest."

"Alex is right, you kids are overthinking," Eliza said. "What he showed at the contest was a 70% done project that your father," she looked at Lena, "had taken interest in. When he and his team couldn't perfect it Lionel fired him."

All the adults sensed that Eliza didn't want to talk about it anymore so no one commented further. Kara still felt that curiosity in her but Reporter Kara Danvers would have to take on this case another time.

"This one looks like me!" While they conversed among themselves, Lexie had busied herself with the scrapbook. This time the page was a bit further to the end and in the center was a photo of a little girl wearing denim overall with a bright red shirt. She stood straight, arms at her sides, legs closed together, like a soldier. Her feet protected by her pristine white shoes pointed outwards. Even with her stiff looking posture she sported a big grin, showing her missing lower tooth. Her long brown hair flowed down her back just around the middle waist. Bright brown eyes, two shades darker than Lexie's, looked at the camera.

The lot gathered around Lexie to look at the photo.

"Whoa."

Alex felt her heart grow. Without needing any DNA tests she knew Lexie was her daughter. She trusted Lena's words as well but those eyes were just the perfect combination of her eye colors, made darker by Lena's genetics. Perfection never existed in her vocabulary but Lexie was the closest to that. Perhaps, even a bit of a tie with someone. "I don't remember this at all, I think I'm around five years old here."

Eliza chuckled, "Because you got so embarrassed when we showed it to your friends. You hid all the copies away in the attic."

"You probably locked away the memory of it, too." Kara snickered.

"Whatever," Alex rolled her eyes. If it was shown to her friends then that was probably true.

“Uncanny,” Lena murmured, she put her phone beside the old photo. It was a picture of Lexie captured on the day they went to the park with Alex. Lexie was wearing the same set of clothes in just different colours.

“Oh goodness, we need to print that. In fact,” Eliza turned to Lena seriously, “I need all her baby pictures from the day she was born to today.” She went on talking about making a new scrapbook.

“I wanna make a scrapbook,” Lexie looked away from the two photos. It was weird.

“Come along,” Eliza said excitedly. “We can collect the papers we’ll need and all kinds of special little objects to stick on the pages as design.” Lexie followed after her grandma to the living room.

“What about dinner?” Kara asked petulantly. 

"Guess we're ordering," Alex said. She grabbed the telephone and dialled the familiar number of the famous little restaurant in Midvale. She ordered the usual meal they ate making sure to add a bit more on the dessert with Lena and Lexie joining them. She finished the call and heard her mom and daughter rustling around the house finding things they needed for the scrapbook.

"Alex, I actually wanted to show you something. It's in my bag." Lena turned quickly before she felt like chickening out. She walked to the guest room and was right when Alex followed wordlessly. Her trolley was already open but half her clothes still remained inside. They covered a small, lavender coloured box. Stickers of butterflies and ribbons were on the sides. A dark purple ribbon was tied around it like a little gift.

Alex, sat on the bed, stared at the box in curiosity. Lena took a seat next to her, facing her. She simply pushed the box to her and she accepted. Alex saw that there was a pink rattle sticker on the top, too. Delicately, she pulled one end of the ribbon, completely untying it. Seeing the box closer, she noticed the edges were worn out and there were small stains, of what was probably from water, on top. Both held their breath as Alex finally pulled off the lid and the redhead's eyes started tearing up. "Are these?"

"They're photos of Lexie from when she was a baby, to her first Christmas and first day at preschool. The ultrasounds are also in there." Lena's voice was quiet when she spoke. Looking at Alex's fingers caressing the one on the very top. It was one of the ultrasounds, of Lexie at 7 months. "I have extra copies for Eliza and Kara, even. I just thought you should see them first."

Alex still stayed quiet. Taking out all the photos one by one and setting them on the bed, almost covering the whole top. Alex was just in awe of every single one. There were photos of Lexie showing a gummy smile. Baby Lexie on a matted floor, laying on her belly holding up her head, the next one was her standing up holding tightly on the edge of the table. There were the ones Lena said, of Lexie's first Christmas, wearing an adorable red dress with a too big Santa hat on her head. The photos gradually showed her growing up into the little 4 year old she is today. As she pulled each one from the whole pile she kept wiping the tears away with her sleeve, not wanting to get them ruined. She picked out the one that stuck to her the most. It was a smiling Lena, in a hospital gown holding a premature baby Lexie with wires still connected to her to help her breathe and Alex could swear there was a smile on her little pink lips. 

Halfway through, Lena had turned away, busying herself with her clothes on the bed. Folding and unfolding the same shirt over and over. It had felt too personal to continue seeing Alex crying while she engraved every photo in her head.

“I wish you would have told me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the patience and the reads. Stay safe everybody!


	10. Moving On, We Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally understand what happened as we all fall apart and come together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry about the last chapter. Give me your tears!  
> Long note. Not related to the story: If you've checked my profile you've seen my other stories and if you dared to read them, thanks! They're mostly G!P. Very sexual kind. I don't think it will get to that in this story. I think it's just the cause as to how Lexie exists. it's fiction at most, no scientific reasonings.

Alex’s voice made the ravenette’s shoulders jump in surprise. Lena shifted carefully to face her again, making sure not to disturb the neatly set photographs.

“I tried to,” Lena kept her head down, her voice was low as she talked. “But I didn’t at the same time. I understand it was wrong to have kept her but I was hurting Alex. I didn’t know what to think, I didn’t know what to do, everything was falling apart around me. I wanted to run to you yet the thought of you brought me nothing but pain.”

“I had a right to know about her. To have been given the chance to be there for her.”

Lena lifted her head. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, to the feelings inside, of sadness and pain. “You think I don’t know that? You think I never felt guilt or remorse for keeping her away?”

“Then why didn’t you just tell me?!” Alex stood, frustration clear on her face.

“You hurt me Alex.” That was the simple answer to all the times she put down her phone and decided not to call Alex. “You may have had the conscience of knowing you were doing the right thing but I was left with the thoughts that you just let go of me once real life came knocking.”

“Real life?” Alex scoffed, her arms crossed. “You were going to Metropolis to parade for your brother’s campaign.” Her voice started getting louder. “What was real about that?”

“You have always known _what_ you wanted in life but whenever it was time to actually step towards that future, you backed away like a coward because you were afraid of leaving your comfort zone filled with alcohol and parties. You were afraid to fuck up anything.”

“At least I didn’t do things just to appease my mom.” The words were out and the slap came as Alex expected. She could have easily avoided it or stopped Lena’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” Lena’s face crumpled, her mouth upturned keeping in the cries she wanted to let out, her voice cracked with emotions as she spoke, “if I just wanted my mother to love me. I’m sorry if I just wanted to finally be accepted in my family and not just be the bastard child.”

Alex averted her gaze, unable to look into those green fiery eyes filled with pain that she caused.

“I’m sorry if I’m as damned to be evil like my brother.”

“You’re not evil,” Alex’s voice was small, feeling guilty knowing she had completely overstepped.

“Taking that pain and turning it into anger. I know you hate me.”

“I don't. ”

“I know what you’re thinking -

“No, you don't - Lena, please.”

“I know you think I’m the most awful person for keeping your daughter away.”

"No, you're not. I'm just trying to understand."

"Then understand this," she waited until Alex looked directly at her, "you hurt me. I realized it myself, that our relationship was turning sour by the end but you, thinking of saving the both of us from our relationship never came to my mind. You could have just told me. _We_ could have tried to figure things out together. Instead you decided to break me to pieces. You may have thought you were a hero,” Alex vehemently disagreed, shaking her head as the tears started streaming down her face. “But where you once filled me with love, you’re now just a reminder of pain.”

“I never…" Alex choked on her own words as she cried. "That wasn’t my intention. The fights were happening everyday and I...I didn't want us to break from all of it.”

“And you thought your decision was the best solution?!”

“I don’t know!” Alex cried out. “I just wanted to protect you from myself. Because you were right, whenever I faced a problem I wanted to run to alcohol first. It never fucking solved shit but it made me forget but I realize now how stupid that was," Alex looked into Lena's eyes trying to show how much she regretted those nights of staying out instead of being with her girlfriend, "because all of the problems just came back eventually. I didn't want to admit to fucking up because I wanted to be perfect for you."

"I never wanted you to be," Lena's voice was now the one filled with frustration. "I just wanted you to arrive at my apartment not smelling of alcohol or being called at 2 in the morning because your ass was drunk again!"

Alex clenched her eyes close. "I'm sorry."

Pain was an inevitable part of love. A constant companion that lurked in the shadows when love grew tired it came out of its hiding, ready to turn into sadness, anger or resentfulness. Where love once lived a whole new feeling has evolved. Some people fight through it and grow love again but some are unlucky keeping those negative feelings in their hearts and inflicting it on others.

They were both crying after trying to tear a piece from each other's heart. Alex's sobs were loud in the quiet of the room. Lena had sat back down on the bed, head in her hands as the tears kept flowing. 

"Girls…" Eliza quietly spoke into the room. She had heralded Kara with Lexie outside with dinner, distracting the little one with some games on her tablet. She opened the door only a few inches. She saw Lena and Alex opposite and far from each other, she glanced at the photos on the bed and didn't need any explanation to simply understand that the two had started opening their painful past. "Dinner is here and Lexie is asking for you two. I will give you a few moments."

The door closed quietly, Lena wiped at her face. "You need to go."

"Lena..."

"I know..we still have a lot to talk about but Lexie's waiting."

Alex agreed and left the guest room to let Lena clean up while she went to the upstairs bathroom. She splashed her face with cold water. Her eyes were red around the edges and her nose was a bit clogged, her mind was racing thinking of everything from the things Lena spoke about to thinking of ways to solve themselves.

"Alex?" She heard her sister's voice from outside the bathroom. Alex opened the door and collapsed in her sister's arms. "It's going to be okay," Kara whispered, running her hand up and down Alex's back trying to calm her sister.

* * *

"Mommy, mommy, mommy." Lexie kept repeating the words as she ran towards her mother. "Look at this!" She practically thrust the item towards her. It was the scrapbook, there wasn't anything inside yet but the front was covered in magazine cutouts and old stickers that seemed to have been glued on it.

"It looks beautiful, Lexie." Lena walked over to Eliza and handed her a small paper bag. "It's Lexie's photos."

"Thank you." The blonde gratefully accepted but she didn't tear into it as Lena had expected, instead she put it on the table. "Are you alright, dear?"

"Y - Yes…I'm fine. Have you all eaten?"

"We wanted to wait for you and Alex," answered Lexie. At that moment, Kara arrived with her sister in tow. Her eyes were still a little red around the edges. Both women avoided each other's gaze and got through an awkward dinner. Lexie wasn't fooled, she knew something bad had happened and everyone was being weird. It was the adult shtuff again.

Kara tried to keep the conversations going, mostly with her rambling. Eliza would put in her two cents and tell stories about Alex and Kara's childhood. A few of them Lena had already known about from Alex's own story to when she visited here during holidays and vacations.

"I think I'm going to settle in for the night," Lena said once Kara had finished in her story. 

"But mommy it's still so early." It was only 7:30 but Lena didn't have the energy to stay up any longer. 

"You can stay up to watch a movie with them."

She bit her lip in uncertainty, she didn't want to go to sleep yet but she was a little shy to watch movies without her mommy by her side.

Lena saw her hesitance, "I can stay up a bit more to watch with you but I might fall asleep halfway through." 

"Lexie," Alex said softly, she sat to the little girls left while Lena was by Lexie's right. "I think your mommy's really tired. She drove us all the way here, why don't we let her rest, huh. We can watch that new movie about the little blue fish," Alex added, she understood that even though they were supposed to be family to Lexie they were still new people she didn't fully know.

"Finding Dory?" Lexie asked and maybe if Alex was still going to be there she'll be fine. "Okay. Mommy you go rest. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow." She smiled.

"That sounds great baby, no superpowers okay?"

"Superpowers?" Kara raised an eyebrow.

Lexie whined and pouted. 

Lena smirked and pointed, "That superpowers."

"I'll make sure no one causes trouble," Eliza chuckled, picking up the leftover boxes. Alex returned with the trash bag and everyone started helping clean up. 

Lena got out Lexie's PJ's for the night and her toothbrush set and handed them to Eliza. "I'll make sure she's in bed by 10."

"Thank you." Lena said goodnight to everyone, Lexie gave her lots of kisses before going back on the couch, settling in nicely between Alex and Kara.

Lena heard the start of the movie as she entered the guest bathroom. She walked over to the sink first and splashed cold water on her face. She could still feel a throbbing in her head, hopefully it didn't turn into a full headache. She washed her body and dried herself, moving on automatic, she grabbed her pajamas and finally lay down on the bed. She massaged her head with her fingers willing the ache to go away.

Convinced sleep was not coming, she grabbed her phone and opened her mail only to be met with some sort of blocking message…from Sam.

 _"No working while on vacation!"_ An evil looking little devil sticker on its side. She could crack it open if she wanted but she was too tired to try and she might have to disassemble a toaster.

The door unexpectedly opened and she almost jumped from the bed.

"Hey." It was Alex, carrying a sleeping Lexie. "She was falling asleep halfway through, I got her to brush her teeth and change before she was knocked out." She spoke quietly as she walked over to the bed. She put the little brunette on the center of the bed.

Lena had Stripes at the ready and Lexie immediately squished the little stuffie close to her chest.

"Lena, I really don't want us to be on bad terms tonight." Alex was sitting on the edge, hands interlaced with her thumbs twiddling nervously. "And honestly, I'm just tired."

"Can we talk outside?"

That was how they found themselves on the porch, upstairs. The night was dark and littered with a few, twinkling stars. The ocean's waves lapped against the soft sand of the shore. Everything around her felt and looked the exact same from the last time she had stayed here, four years ago. But her and Alex were completely different people on different paths.

"I remember…so many things here," Lena said, she leaned forward on the railing looking out into the dark, vast ocean.

"Yeah, from Kara's loud shouts with friends to the bangs." Alex paused, "I mean the literal firework bangs." She coughed awkwardly and looked away from Lena's raised eyebrow look.

"I would really love a smoke right now." She said instead of commenting any further on Alex's word mishaps. 

"You know I hate it when you smoke," Alex murmured.

"I haven't done so ever since you said those exact same words back then." The young CEO still kept her gaze forward, on the dark horizon that seemed to be keeping her tethered. "We were merely workmates for a project but your words seemed to have really affected me. I mean, Alex Danvers, the prodigy student was talking to me."

"I'm sorry. And I don't think I ever compared to you though."

"No," Lena said softly, "you were more special. Because I came from an affluent family while you made your own name in college." She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you out of your comfort zone. Even though I felt I was doing it for your own good, I think I did it also to appease my mother, to show her you were..perfect."

"Yeah, I thought as much," Alex said. "I saw it even if it was unconsciously. I never cared about what Lillian thought but it was so important to you, so I tried to be, you know, perfect."

"I was an idiot," Lena scoffed, a rueful smile on her face. "Trying to play perfect with my family when all I've ever been to them was a puppet." Lena wiped away the stray tears, the feelings of sadness and bitterness once again pouring out of her. "I'm sorry I pulled you into my mess.

Alex shook her head. "It's not stupid to expect love from family, Lena. And you didn't pull me into it, I remember I was the one that knocked on your door." She grinned playfully at the young CEO. "The last few months of our relationship, you were so caught up with your brother's campaign and I got too fed up with everything you wanted me to do, everything started turning upside down."

"You partied out more and I got caught up with his works. We were barely seeing each other and when we did we expected different things." Lena closed her eyes, finally seeing how everything turned to shit. When Alex opened the door a complaint would come out of her mouth the same went when she arrived late for their dates and Alex had waited for 3 hours. "Do you remember the promise I made you do?"

*

_"Alex."_

_"Hm?"_

_Both were lying naked in bed, Lena tracing random lines along Alex's abs as they let the lingering euphoria engulf them._

_"Promise me something."_

_"You know I don't make promises."_

_Lena leaned up on her elbow, putting her eye to eye with Alex as she stared from above the brunette. "Will you do it for me then?"_

_Again, those intense green eyes. Always so expressive when the youngest Luthor let down her walls but the coldest when faced with challenges._

_"Okay," she whispered quietly._

_"Promise me we'll make it. That nothing or no one is going to break us. Not school, not family, not friends."_

_Alex gently cupped her cheek with her left hand. "Hey, you and I, we're tough as nails but together Lex said we're like a big ass lesbian drill. So yeah, I promise you we'll make it."_

*

"I think that's why I was so much more bitter than I should have been with you. It was a ridiculous promise that I made you do,” Lena crossed her arms, “and I stupidly held on to it."

Alex vaguely remembered, it was one of the earlier times, when the fights were just starting out. "Even if you never told me to, I would have fought to keep us together. I just never expected myself to be the one to break us."

"Looking back now though, you were right. We were bound to blow up at some point." Lena, finding her courage, finally turned to look directly at Alex, at those soulful brown eyes. "I'm sorry, I should have tried to be a better girlfriend and I should have done the mature thing to do and told you about Lexie."

Alex was taken aback by the sincerity in Lena's voice. She moved forward and let her arms wound around Lena. She hugged the young Luthor tightly. "And I'm sorry I didn't communicate with you more. I'm sorry I made the decision to leave you." She pulled away to look into Lena's teary eyes, "I'm sorry I cause you pain."

Lena ducked her head and simply tucked herself into Alex. The firm body and strong arms made her feel the safest she has ever felt in four years. "We both messed up," Lena spoke quietly. Alex was gripping on tightly to Lena, afraid of letting go. "But we're here now. We're trying for us and most especially for Lexie. I think that's the best for now."

Alex nodded. The wind picked up and the crashing sounds of the waves grew stronger but she's never felt more peaceful than now. Lena raised her head and Alex, like all the times she ran to the ocean waves, wanted to get lost in those beautiful green eyes forever.

Lena cupped Alex's face and slowly, carefully, with a bit of fear pushed forward. Letting their lips meet softly and gently, almost chaste and dainty. Letting their hearts rive and heal all at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. wow. would you look at that. I mean, they had to at some point. the question is, is it gonna keep going?


	11. It's Morning Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of the vacation. We meet some people from their past and just try to enjoy the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: GUY USES SLUR WORDS!
> 
> Other than that part I really like this one, it was inspired from Taylor Swift's song "Daylight"  
> I'm not the biggest swift fan but her latest album has some really good songs.

The sun still hid beneath the horizon. At 4:20AM, Lena found herself along the seashore, letting her feet get wet with the quiet and slow lapping of the waves. She wore a white fleece jacket as her hands nursed a mug filled with coffee. She wanted to walk and walk and walk until she… she didn’t know what she was walking away from. The indigo coloured home that housed the most heartwarming memories or was it the people themselves. She let the warmth of the mug keep her grounded as she heard footsteps nearing.

“You’re not usually an early riser.”

“Good morning, Kara,” Lena smiled at her friend. Kara often went on runs early mornings in her favourite blue tight pants paired with a black tank top. She wiped away at her sweat and sat down on the ground, far from the reach of the waves.

Kara hummed in response as she took a drink from her water bottle.

Lena sipped her coffee as Kara caught her breath and leaned back on her hands.

“Are you okay?”

“I… don't know." Lena shook her head, as if dismayed of her current uncertainty of her emotions. "It's complicated."

"Yeah, you two always are," Kara rolled her eyes. "But you're still here, within distance of the house and Alex."

"My daughter is also in there." Without speaking, she made Kara hold her mug as she set her cardigan on the sand and sat down beside her. "I think I'm a little more okay. At least, Alex understands now that as valiant her decision may have seemed, it wasn't the best solution."

"I already told her that much, I guess you saying it makes it more truthful."

"We talked more, I realised I was as much at fault as her for our relationship going downhill." Lena's shoulder slumped as she exhaled heavily, "We promised to always communicate to each other but it seems that was sent out the door when we found how amazing make-up sex was."

"Oh God! Lena! No!" Kara covered her ears as if that would salvage her anymore of those sentences. "That's gross! I know we also said to share things but not that!"

Lena gave out a hearty laugh from Kara's little suffering. "Seriously though," she said still grinning, "we talked more of where we went wrong and what we did that we ended up on the wrong side of...everything."

Kara sat Indian style as she faced her best friend. "I'm glad you have both opened up and talked things out more."

Their conversation steered to more random things of their lives in National City. Kara gave a lot of recommendations on the best restaurants for specific foods. Lena could only give her Lexie's favorite place to eat. They both agreed Noonans is a great restaurant though. The city's parks are definitely the best to visit at 6PM on a Sunday and the traffic's are the worst.

"You know, you're gonna be okay." Kara said after a lull in their conversations. "All three of you are. You're not geniuses for nothing," she grinned. She stood up and held out her hand to Lena who gratefully accepted it.

"I think this needs more than brains," Lena replied as they started walking back to the house. She saw the redhead on the second floor balcony, standing next to the telescope.

"The fact that you acknowledge that means you're on a good track." 

"I really hope you're right Kara."

The blonde stopped just at the stone steps that led up to the backyard. "Follow your heart Lena. I think that's what you've been doing this whole time, why stop now?" She shrugged and jogged up the steps. 

Lena took the steps one by one until she reached the top. Alex was waiting by the table she and Eliza sat at yesterday, the agent held a pot of coffee in her right hand and her own mug in the left. She smiled at her and Lena gave a small side smile.

They both met each other in the middle. Alex poured the hot coffee in Lena's awaiting mug and as it filled, the sun had finally stopped hiding from beneath the horizon and the warm, orange glow of the morning hit the ex lovers as they looked towards the rising sun.

"It's morning now."

And Lena felt lighter as the sun rose to start a new day.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us now Mom?" Alex asked. She stood at the door, waiting for Kara. Lena and Lexie were already outside in the car. 

"I still have some research papers to work on and we'll meet up later tonight anyway."

"Alright, stay safe." She gave her a kiss on the cheek as Kara came flying in and gave her one on the other.

"Bye Eliza!"

Alex smoothly slid in the driver's seat. Her thumbs rubbed the fancy leather steering wheel as she took a moment.

"Anytime, Alex." Kara groaned from beside the passenger's seat. Lena and Lexie took to taking their seats at the back. "Remember, we're just going to town."

"Oh how I wish I could test you out." Alex said as she shifted the gear and drove at just a tiny, tad but higher than the supposed speed limit.

They arrived in the center of the town, a few people were milling about here and there. Since it was a school day there weren't any kids around. They parked the car at an old parking lot, it stuck out like a sore thumb but they had agreed to get around town by walking, considering it was quite small and Alex had promised Lexie a bicycle ride at the park. 

"I forgot how small Midvale is," Lena said. She held Lexie's hand as the little girl took in the stores and diners around her. They planned to get lunch first then walk around and maybe window shop at most but Lena had her sights on a small bookstore already, so maybe more than a window shop would be happening.

"Missing the big city already?" Kara asked.

"Far from it." It was an honest reply from Lena, as much as she loved the big branded shops and the high class lobsters there was something else with being seated with the ones that she cared about at an old town diner managed by new people. As the trio of food monsters argued over one menu, Lena took the time to look around at Flo's Diner. The place still had the retro theme going, with the neon lights and decorations, the half of a vintage car stuck to the wall was still a big hit as it stayed there close to the kitchen doors.

"Lena?"

"Sorry?"

"What are you going to have?" Kara asked as Alex pushed the menu over to her.

She took a bit of time to peruse over it, there were a few new ones mostly on the dessert side. "I think I'll have their usual," she said without thinking much about it. She didn’t clear it out before Alex flagged down the waitress and gave out their order. She was surprised that Alex still remembered her order from years ago.

“And a roast chicken sandwich with pomegranate juice.” Alex thanked the waitress after she repeated their orders correctly.

“Alex, look, there’s a game over there.” Lexie pointed to the arcade machines that seemed to feature the game Wreck-It-Ralph. “Can I play mommy?”

“Sure, baby girl.” She moved to reach for her purse but was stopped by Alex’s hand reaching over.

“I got this.” Alex grinned and stood up, Lexie followed her lead happily. The redhead helped Lexie to sit on the stool and started the game.

Lena watched them from afar, mother and daughter shared the same wide smiles. She’s glad the two would get the chance to bond now, things were a bit better and Lena was hopeful that they could start moving forward as a family. Although there was a bit of something she was hung up on.

“Mhmm...what did you do?” 

Lena’s brows scrunched, “What do you mean?”

“I know that face not only because I’m a reporter but also because I’m your friend.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Lena rolled her eyes but like metal attracted to magnets they moved back towards the redhead.

Kara followed her eyesight, seeing Lexie and her sister getting along so well even with the bits of bump in the road. she didn't think the two would be having much problems as Alex was being very understanding and Lexie was slowly accepting Alex. She turned back to her friend who still didn't take off her eyes from the two. “You deserve to be happy, too, Lena.”

"I am," she said. "Seeing Lexie and Alex happy together is all I wanted and as big of an impossible it may be to ask, I want us to have smooth sailing from here on out."

"I understand what you mean but I meant your happiness. The selfish kind?" It was an understanding they had that humans were selfish in nature but put it in the right way to use and it could be a good thing. It seems something that they all needed to learn was to be selfish, every once in a while, with the things that made them happy.

“You really need to meet Sam, you and her would have a blast talking about selfish happiness and what not,” Lena shook her head with a smirk.

“Samantha Arias, CFO of L-Corp. She was featured as CFO of the year last 2019 by multiple brands including in CatCo’s special edition. Although behind the scenes, she’s done great leaps to push L-Corp as National City’s number one innovative company.” Lena’s right eyebrow slowly raised at each description her friend gave. “What?”

“Now it’s my turn to ask what you did.”

“I was the one to interview her,” Kara said.

“Oh my god!” Lena exclaimed, “Kara Danvers did you sleep with your client?”

Kara spluttered around for words. “Wh-what?! How could you even - ”

“I know Sam,” Lena laughed, “She’s always saying she’s a behind the scenes person but never on interviews.” She grinned like a cheshire cat. Kara was completely red around her neck and cheeks.

“Listen! It’s not like that! She was nice and we decided to celebrate with a drink-”

“Sam and alcohol,” Lena interjected again, she poured water in all four glasses and pushed one towards Kara, “no need to explain further.”

Lexie came running back to the table and quickly grabbed for the glass of water. Trying to win an oldie video game was tiring.

“Did I...miss something?” Alex asked with a bit of hesitancy seeing how red Kara’s face looked. She took a seat beside her sister and gave a look at Lena wanting the woman to explain.

“Nothing!” Kara shouted.

“Mary Poppins says nothing can be anything and everything,” Lexie piped in as she took he seat beside her mommy.

“Mary Poppins is a smart woman,” said Lena, still not letting go of the big information she got from her friend. _”Small world, indeed.”_

“Here are your orders!” The waitress finally arrived, Kara breathing easier. She held up two plastic trays. She set the one with their drinks down first then the other one that was filled with their orders of three different kinds of pasta, two burgers and three large fries. “Second batch will be here in jiffy.”

“I need a gym membership by the end of this week,” Lena murmured seeing all the food and knowing there was a second tray to be added.

“You should come jog with us,” Alex said. She set about the food, putting the pasta salad in front of Lexie and most of the fries and burger to her and Kara. 

“I’m not that desperate,” Lena smirked. They all knew that as much as she would work out for fitness she would never trade her mornings to wake up early for exercises. 

“If you ever feel like it you know where to find us,” Alex said. Their second batch was the pizza and Lena’s order of roast chicken sandwich. The group dug in for their lunch, an easy conversation flowing through.

“I just don’t get why they’re trying to make so many movies about bad guys actually being good,” Alex shrugged her shoulders and grabbed for more fries. They ended up debating on the movie about Wreck-It-Ralph himself.

“Because they’re trying to teach kids how not everyone is bad,” Kara said.

“But then what do you do if someone really is untrustworthy?”

“You’re such a poopy head," Kara pouted.

“I like it,” Lena said, “the movies, it’s not easy to convey that things in life are more of a grey area and not everyone is how you always make them out to be.”

Lexie slid closer to her mommy.

Alex bit her lip knowing Lena was pertaining to herself and the Luthor name. She wonders if she told Lexie of the kind of judgement people had on the Luthor name. Alex didn’t like Lillian from the start and the older woman didn’t give a fuck about Alex’s opinions, Lillian was awful from the get go. Lex, on the other hand, was once upon a time a good guy. Before he decided to run as a candidate for Senator, he used to visit Lena and Alex, the three of them would have dinners or go clubbing whichever the mood the siblings were in and Alex would just tag along. It was something else to see the Luthor siblings be carefree and laugh without restraint but once they were in front of their mother they changed, they were almost as elegant as any royalty. When the bombings happened what was left of the once prestigious Luthor name was nothing more than debris on the ground, something people often stepped on.

“The companies may not be the epitome of perfection,” Lena rolled her eyes, “but their movies mostly teach good morals and I guess that makes it okay.”

“You like Wreck-it-Ralph,” Lexie said matter-of-factly.

“Mhm. I also like all the other movies we’ve watched twice.”

“But you liiiike them!” 

“We should have Disney movie night!” Kara exclaimed in excitement but Alex groaned.

“Can we Alex?” With a big and eager smile Alex never had a chance to say no to Lexie.

“Alright but only one movie with singing and I want to watch this Wreck-It-Ralph.”

“I knew that order was familiar!” A big man with graying hair and beard walked over to their table. He wore loose jeans and a white shirt that had a print of the diner’s logo, that had a very 70’s style text of the words "Flo’s Diner" in captivating red and of course it was surrounded by neon graphics.

“Mark!” Alex stood and greeted the man with a big hug, Kara following after her. “It’s so good to see you.”

“I should be the one saying that!” His laugh was gleeful, the wrinkles around his eyes and around his face was a testament to the time that has passed by. “You two have been off to National City and saving the world!”

“You’re exaggerating,” Alex said, she sat back down after Kara had settled in. She was smiling as big as Mark, it had been so long since she came back home and Mark always had such positive vibes. “Mom thinks we’ve just been goofing up out there.”

“She just worries for you!” He gave Alex a big pat on the back. He pulled up a stool chair and sat at the end of the table. “Lena! It’s been a long time but I remember that order more than anyone.”

“Hello, Mark.” Lena sat stiffly on her seat, unsure of what to do. She was happy to see him again. He had always been a nice and jolly man, keeping polite to all the customers. Except that one time.

*   
_  
“Mark has made specials for you two today.” A woman in her late 50’s held a notepad in her left hand and a green, chipped pencil in the other._

_“Thank you so much Flo,” Alex grinned widely, she was feeling like she was on  
cloud nine right now. Everything went perfectly, Flo and Mark were very kind to help and better her plans._

_“Thank you Flo, the place looks wonderful!” From across Alex, Lena sat wearing a plain, green swing dress with cuffed short sleeves, button closures and the same coloured self belt, paired it with black, 4-inch pumps._

_Alex was wearing a burgundy jumper over her cream coloured, long sleeved blouse. The jumper even had heart shaped buttons and ended around her mid thighs. Sexy knee high boots covered up her legs._

_The redhead had surprised Lena tonight for their second anniversary. She had asked the help of the owners to transform the diner into the ultimate 70’s style place. The game machines and some tables were moved to make space for a make-shift dance floor. There were, of course, heart shaped paper mache hung around the ceiling and where once the food posters stood were replaced by vintage posters of people dancing and old style valentine’s decors._

_“Oh young love,” Flo said wistfully as she twirled in her red dress. “Where has the time gone for us. I swear Mark doesn’t even make the effort anymore.” She made sure her voice was loud that Mark heard her from the kitchen._

_“I gave you some flowers for our anniversary!” Mark came out from the kitchen carrying two serving trays. "Now leave these girls to their date."_

_"You running a gay bar now?"_

_All four and the rest of the workers and customers looked at the man who seemed to have been ordering from the counter. His face scrunched up, brows knitted, nose wrinkled and mouth down turned._

_"I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to ask you to keep your mouth shut if you have nothing good to say." Mark was 6'9 and even at the age of 60 he had well-built muscles which made him big, big. He crossed his arms as he addressed the man, towering a good feet over him._

_"All this shit for those things?!"_

_Alex stood angrily from her seat, ready to throw punches but she was held back by Lena and Flo. Mark walked closer to the guy, who stupidly held his ground._

_"I'm gonna ask you again." Mark's voice lowered to a threatening level. Even Alex became a bit fearful at what he would do, she has never heard his voice like that. "Keep your mouth shut."_

_"Ruining everything, with you dykes!" He sneered on the last word, his awful looking face looked even uglier than it already was._

_“I’m gonna ask you to leave and never come here if you’re going to be such a bigoted person.”_

_“Fuck this place and you fucking gay people. Bunch of abominations.”_

_As if reading Alex’s mind, Mark pulled back his arm and punched the man straight on his nose. Curses and threats followed after but Mark and the others pulled him out of the restaurant and literally threw him on the streets._

_He was seething with anger but softened at seeing the girls. “Sorry to get the night ruined, girls.”_

_“Are you kidding?” Alex was grinning widely and if Lena looked closer, probably even shaking a bit in excitement. “That was better than any movie I planned for us to watch. Might have felt better if I got to punch him though.”_

_Everyone’s moods eased up a bit and Lena had to roll her eyes but smiled along with Flo and Mark. It was quite thrilling albeit a scary experience for them._

__  
*

That was the only time Lena had ever seen him so scarily angry and the only time he punched someone. She had expected the man to sue them, she saw that other than being a big bigot, he was filthy rich and so she anonymously helped the two seniors win their case. Although when Eliza had visited and she brought Flo’s baked blueberry pie with her, she sensed she wasn’t so anonymous about it.

“You’ve grown to be quite the woman. Flo would have been very happy to see you all grown up.” From Lena’s questioning look he realized the young ravenette didn’t know about what happened. He still had a smile on his lips but his eyes glimmered with sadness, “She’s in a better place now.”

Lena looked down at her finished meal. The sandwich and pomegranate juice ended up being one of Flo’s favorite meals. It became her usual in the diner and she could tell it was made much better than the others. “My condolences.”

Mark pursed his lips and acknowledged it with a nod. “I see you have a little someone there,” he said, gesturing to Lexie, who was shyly tucked into Lena’s side.

Lena moved to get Lexie to sit up more properly. “This is Lexie, my daughter. Lexie, meet Mark, he’s a good friend of ours and he made all our delicious food today.”

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Mark,” the little brunette said in a small voice.

“None of that mister thing, just call me Mark. Or better yet, you can call me papa bear.” He held out his hand and Lexie gingerly placed her smaller one on his. His grasp was careful and gentle for a big man, he moved their hands up and down as a lieu of a handshake. “It’s very nice to meet you. You look a lot like your mom!”

“They say it’s just the nose and that I look a lot like Alex.” Her sentence was true and honest, Mark darted his eyes around the three adults. Kara had taken to busying herself with her drink.

“We’re um..” Alex started unsurely then looked towards Lena.

“We’re kind of just..co-parenting.”

“Oh.” Yes, oh. Because he didn’t think that the two would have ever broken up. With Flo he had felt and understood love, had seen it from her eyes even through the hardships. He had seen many lovers and partners come in and out this diner but he had never seen the same kind of love he and his dearest Flo shared. That was until Alex and Lena came in through the doors and Flo wouldn’t keep quiet about them. *”I know love because I’ve felt it with you and now I see it in them,” she had said. She said she just knew while he was skeptical for some time about it. “Well, things have really changed, huh.”

“Boss! Newbie doesn’t know how to make the roast chicken sandwich right!”

Mark chuckled, “Well, duty calls. Gotta make sure that sandwich is perfect.” He winked at Lena, “I hope to see you girls again.”

“We’ll probably be having lunch here everyday, we’re staying for four more days.”

“Oh. Do you have any plans tomorrow?”

“Not really,” Kara answered.

“I just need help with decorating up the place,” he chuckled, “Remember, we made that little stunt of yours a business. And I’m not a good decorator, the girls could use some help,” he pointed towards the counter where two young girls were working on the cash register and waiting at the tables alternately. Flo was the one that decided to try making it as a form of business but only for very special people and special moments.

“Only because I don’t want you to butcher your own business,” Alex smirked. 

Mark gave out another hearty laugh, “I’ll expect you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, I think we’re going to head out now, we have some bikes to get to.”

“Bicycle time!” Lexie bounced on her seat as the adults slid out from the booth. “Where are we gonna go?”

“Why don’t you end at the park, they’ve installed a new playset there,” Mark smiled at Lexie, he definitely sees the little rugrat that Alex once was but with more sophistication of Lena, if he could call holding herself back from squealing sophistication. 

“Thanks Mark. It was nice seeing you again.” Alex gave the burly man another tight hug. 

“Thank you for the food um...Papa Bear,” Lexie gave him a big smile. These people had funny names they wanted to be called, back then she remembered addressing almost everyone with a Ma’am or Sir which was a real mouthful sometimes. She was glad these people had simpler and definitely funner nicknames.

Lena was the last to give him a hug and she remembered why she gave him that nickname as his beard tickled her neck. His hugs were gentle and warm, “I really am happy to see you again, papa bear.” 

“Don’t be a stranger. You’re always welcome here.”

The girls bid their goodbye to Mark and Alex assured him she wasn’t going to bail. He watched them go, Alex holding out the door and waiting for everyone to pass. A smile, cheeks lifting up, crinkles around the eyes and a look that was familiar.

Mark gave a last wave at Alex. _“Well, Flo’s never wrong.”_


	12. Blithsome Glum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a bicylce ride and things literally take a turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late but iz here.
> 
> -stay safe humans-

The group made their way to the shop for the bikes. It was a bazaar of sorts that sold clothes and other knick-knacks that also rented out bicycles. It was run by an elderly lady, Mrs. Willis, who would have the door open and a dark purple curtain as the entrance to the shop. It was a small place, built by her and her late husband, as a pastime of sorts when they both retired.

The bicycles weren't the top notch kinds but they were maintained well and painted to keep the metal from eroding. They rented out three, agreeing to have Lexie seated on Alex's bike as it was a lower build and had a longer seat and if she got tired Kara could have Lexie ride on hers.

Lena had taken the olive green bicycle with a basket and set the bouquet inside it.The chrysanthemums, hyacinths and white roses were beautifully arranged together.

They went around the stores first, Lena wobbling a bit as she got used to cycling. She had to roll her eyes when Kara went around her with no hands on the handlebars, she knew Alex was itching to do some trick but she was glad she was holding off even a bit as Lexie was riding with her. Then, following Alex’s lead, they followed the off-path road to the cemetery. The trees provided them shade as the sun still soar above. Lexie seemed to be having fun even if she was just riding on Alex’s bike. Lena was scared she was going to throw a tantrum for a moment at the shop but they luckily avoided it.

"Caught one!" She joyously held up the leaf that was turning into its red orange autumn colour. "I'm gonna put this on the scrapbook."

"Let's put it in your mom's basket so it won't get ruined," said Alex and her daughter leaned back to give it to her. "Alright, first mate Lexie," the little girl giggled, "I'm gonna ask you to commandeer the ship!" Alex let go of the left handle and Lexie put both her hands on it. She was smiling widely as her mommy came closer to them. Like a balancing act, Alex reached over and put the leaf safely in the corner of the basket. "Good job first mate!"

"You're welcome captain!"

A few more minutes of riding on the path and the trees started to dwindle, the cemetery was right on their sight. The wide, red metal gates were opened and they went through, Alex and Kara waving at the guard posted. They stopped after a few rows of the once pure white crosses and headstones now grey and deteriorated from all the shifting seasons of time. There were new patches of dirt indicating the newer graves, while those that have been around for a few more weeks were starting to grow grass. They stopped at one of the many cross shaped tombstones where the grass was fully grown, there were flowers and candles set near the gravestone. 

Lena set the bouquet down, “Hi Flo.” She sat down next to the grave, Lexie took her place on her lap. “This is my daughter, Lexie. She really loved the food at the diner.”

Lexie cupped her hands and whispered to her mother, “Who is Flo?”

“She’s Mark’s wife and just like Mark, she’s one of the best people I’ve been lucky to know.”

“Oh.” She looked back at the gravestone, “Hello, Ms. Flo.”

Kara chuckled, “I can almost hear her complain about not using a Miss next to her name.”

“What happened to her?” Lexie asked.

“Pneumonia that turned into Tuberculosis,” answered Alex, “it sucks, they didn’t have enough medical equipment and meds to save her, when they decided to move her to the bigger city, it was too late.” 

“Oh,” said Lexie, “that sucks.”

Lena acquiesced in thought. The good people always seemed to be handed an early death. They never deserve it but then this world doesn’t deserve the goood people like Flo either.

“God seems to need a lot of angels up in heaven.” The offhand comment definitely got a smile out of the three adults. 

“Yeah, he does,” Lena said.

They stayed for a few more minutes, Alex and Kara telling the two Luthor's of stories about Flo and her antics with Mark. They were an amazing couple, loved by the townspeople and loved their food even more. They often helped in the community, serving food for charities at the Danvers’ old school. 

“They loved to take on strays,” Alex smiled, “and not just kittens or puppies they took in even those people who felt lost.”

Lena looked over at the gravestone, “Flo was an amazing woman who never stopped loving.”

Alex wholeheartedly agreed.

Their ride ended them at the park, following through with Mark’s suggestion. Alex and Kara returned the bikes while Lena stayed with Lexie, the little girl excited to get on the playground.

“So - “

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say!”

Alex groaned, “Fine, finish your question.”

“I was just going to ask how you’re holding up.”

“I mean, we talked.” She shrugged as much as she could holding both bicycle handles as they walked back to the shop.

“M-hm.”

“I think we’ve reached an understanding and I don’t know for her but I think I can finally close the door to the past. Lexie needs to be our focus right now.”

“Mmm..”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Well, what else am I supposed to say?”

“I don’t know, something that’s a ramble long, you literally rambled to Lucy about how pizza is the best. Now with my relationship you have nothing to say?”

Before Kara could speak again they arrived at the shop. The sisters helped Ms. Willis set the bikes back and made sure the locks were secured.

“I just wanted to check on you,” Kara said. “I know you Alex, you always put other people’s happiness first before your own, you always did that to me, then Mom, then Lena. If all of this, seeing Lena, knowing about Lexie is putting some kind of pressure on you to just accept things without thinking over your feelings first - 

“Okay, there’s the ramble I was looking for,” Alex murmured. She put her arm over Kara’s shoulder to get the blonde to stop talking. “I know you worry about me when it comes to relationships.”

“Yeah, I mean, after that rollercoaster with Maggie - 

“We don’t talk about that.”

“- I don’t know what to expect.”

They were nearing the park when Alex received a text asking if they could buy water and a light snack for Lexie. 

_No junk food please._

Like a player with a new side quest, Alex with her sister, set out to the nearest convenience store and bought water and juice. She stopped her sister from buying chips even if they were for herself. So in the isle of the biscuits of Oreos and Ritz crackers they continued their talk. 

“I get where you’re coming from but like I said, we’re focusing on Lexie not our relationship. There isn’t even a relationship we’re just co-parenting.”

“If you say so.” Kara raised her eyebrows a bit (a lot) of disbelief in her voice as she grabbed a pack of oreo's.

Alex followed her to the counter carrying the bottles of water and juice. “What - What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that,” Kara shrugged her shoulders, “If that’s all there is then okay.”

Alex gave her the stink eye. “You better not try to do anything.”

“I’m just here to have vacation, hang out with my best friend and get to know my niece more.”

A cough interrupted the two and their heads turned to the cashier, bored as ever, told them their total again and bagged their food. The sisters finally returned to the park. Lena and Lexie were under a big oak tree, the little one resting her head on her mother’s legs while Lena leaned back on the trunk.

Alex stood mesmerized for a moment. Lena with her long flowing locks, perfect glowing skin, gleeful bright eyes and smiling red lips. She was leaning against the tree trunk. Her fingers were smoothing over Lexie’s brown locks of hair, with the little one laying next to her on the grass pointing up at the sky with a big grin. The two were like a perfect renaissance era painting.

“Took a picture for you,” Kara bumped her shoulder, “you’re welcome.” The blonde ran off with a big grin leaving a blushing Alex behind.

* * *

The sun was starting to set, Alex went to pick up Eliza back at home so Kara, Lena and Lexie made their way to the restaurant Eliza had picked. It was a good friend of hers, although in Midvale everybody knew everybody so as they walked towards it Kara was greeted by almost every passerby.

One even thought Lena and Kara were the ones that ended up together, as they remembered that Alex and Lena used to date. The blonde's stammering did not help but Lena sternly denied the thought and said what they had told Mark earlier.

"Alex and I are co-parenting."

After that one, they decided to walk faster but Kara and Lexie were like little puppies attracting people and so a few more talks were unavoided.

"Mommy, I want fries." They were finally settled at a long table in the restaurant. Lena and Lexie sat on one side while Kara sat across them.

“I think we’ve had enough of that.” Lena furrowed her brows as she went through the menu, she was happy to see some actual healthy foods available on it. “We’re ordering some vegetables.”

“Kara has to eat them, too, okay?” She grinned.

“Of course darling.”

Kara squinted her eyes at Alex’s evil little copy, “You little - 

“Kara is a grown adult,” Lena gave her a pointed look. “She eats her vegetables. I’ll let you choose one.” She held the menu for her daughter to peruse, while Kara updated Alex on where they were.

10 minutes later, Alex and Eliza entered the restaurant, the older blonde greeted someone by the cash register. Alex, after an awkward wave at the waitress, made her way over to their table and sat at the end of the table close to Lexie. “Hey, you guys already ordered?”

“Mommy wanted to wait for you and granma,” said Lexie. “Look at this,” she put her tablet on the table for everyone to see. On the screen rather than some cute kitten photo or a random game, she was showing a full detailed page of a prosthetic dog leg.

“Oh wow, what is this?” Alex asked, interest immediately peaked.

“That looks complicated,” said Kara as she tried turning her head to see the photo properly.

“It’s a p’osthetic,” she frowned then tried again, “pros-thet-ic leg for doggies.” She kneeled on the chair so she could point out certain details about it. “See here, this is supposed to connect to their nerves, mommy says it’s going to be really, really ouchy but it could help them a lot.”

“Her and Ruby actually helped design it.” Lena leaned over to swipe the screen to the next page, which was the part of the paw. “They saw it on this Japanese anime show, how metal prosthetic limbs are connected to the nerves and they can use it as if it were just their normal arm, moving fingers and wrist and all.” Lena explained.

“Is it functional?” Alex swiped the screen to the next page, the details on it weren’t exactly scientifically termed or coined, she guessed this was a Lexie version of the research paper, it was all nonetheless amazing.

“It should be, I mean there have always been steps in that part of science being taken and it’s slowly been working but obviously the reality is, the body, whichever species it may be, will reject a foreign object not to mention the way you have to actually connect it to the nerves is a delicate and extensive kind of surgery.” Lena inhaled deeply, “Sometimes I really wish sci-fi was true then maybe we would be moving further, faster.”

“Hey,” Alex reached over and put her hand on top of Lena’s, “you’re doing an amazing job at your own pace.”

“What Alex said, the fact that you’ve even thought of this is...wow.” 

“What is wow?”

Lena pulled her hand as Eliza took her seat. Lexie got down and went over to her granma to show her the little project she had started with Ruby and her mommy.

“This is truly amazing. I think I know someone who would be able to help you give a little more insight on these things if you’re interested.”

Lexie looked over to her mommy.

“I think she’s talking to you,” Lena smiled.

Her brown eyes widened, “Me?”

“Why yes, I believe you are the main creator.” Eliza pointed to her name on the tablet while Lena and Ruby were written as co-creators.

“Yes, please.” Lexie was a happy little bug for the rest of the night. Even eating her vegetables without complaints.

"We promised to help Mark with decorations tomorrow."

"We don't really have anything planned anyways," Kara munched on her carrot stick. The bunch finished their main meal and were on to dessert, which were vegetables and fruits that can be dipped in chocolate.

"My plan was to just stay at home," Alex said.

"'Cause you're that boring." Alex kicked the side of her chair. "Hey!" 

"And you're both supposed to be the adults."

"I want a sister." Children seemed to have a thing for offhand comments. Kara almost choked from laughing. Alex was blushing red trying to actually say a sentence. Eliza seemed to have nothing but amusement in her eyes.

"You already have Ruby, you said she's like you big sister, remember?" Lena was composed as ever but the blush on her cheeks said she wasn't completely safe from the shock of what her daughter said.

"I guess...but I wanna be the big sister." She pouted at her mommy.

"Having a little sister isn't just about playing," Eliza said. "Sometimes you have to take care of them, look out for each other and you'll have to share things at times."

"I share my stuff with Ruby."

"We'll just have to see then." That comment left two adults in a completely embarrassed state while Kara ended up in another chortling battle with her carrot stick.

* * *

"The dinner was wonderful, Rafael." Eliza was busy thanking the manager of the place, Alex was giving a glare at the man that seemed to be too cozied up with her mother.

"Lighten up," Kara nudged her sister from behind. "They're just friends."

"Hmmm…" Alex's glare didn't let up.

"I agree with your sister," said Lena. She held Lexie in one hand, the little one trying to keep the big beanie out of her eyes. "Let her have a little fun."

"She can have fun with crochets," Alex grumbled, seeing the man kiss her mother's cheek. 

"Shall we get going?" Eliza had a questioning look.

Lena and Kara were trying their hardest not to laugh while Alex glared daggers at the restaurant manager, hoping lasers could shoot out her eyes.

"Yes, I think this one needs sleep." Lena bent down and carried Lexie. The little one was already leaning against her legs tiredly.

"I'll get the car you guys can wait here."

"Thief!!!"

The people in the streets suddenly stood still trying to find the culprit. Alex saw Mark with a few other men making chase when a gunshot rang out. The crowd started to panic, owners were quickly shutting their stores, deafening screams surrounded them as they all tried to run away but with adrenaline fueling them they were scattering around.

Alex pushed her family back inside the restaurant.

“Stay inside and stay low.” She pulled out a Glock 42, where she had been keeping it tucked into her pants.

“Where did that come from?!” Kara hissed.

“I’m an agent,” she answered with a small grin, “I never leave the house without a gun.” Alex carefully stalked outside, everything suddenly quiet. She ran over to the group of men huddled over at the store.

“Alex.”

“Mark, is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, the man just sent out a warning shot. The money was taken, used the bike as an escape,” Mark explained. “You shouldn’t trouble yourself with this,” he moved to cover her hand that was holding the gun, “the cops are on it.”

“Get down!” Alex, with all her strength, pulled Mark down to the floor. She pointed her gun at the open window, where she saw the blonde thief. She grabbed the bicycle she had used earlier and easily broke the rusting keypad with the butt of her gun. She shrugged at the appalled looks of the group but quickly pedalled off to the direction the man escaped to, it was a bit familiar, edging close to the forest and her old school. “I’m supposed to be on vacation dammit!” She shot at the tire and the man was sent careening off the road. She stopped her bike and pointed her gun at the criminal.

“Wait! Please don’t!” The blonde haired man lay on the ground, hands in front of his body in surrender. “I - I’m sorry, I didn’t want to.”

Alex’s brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“I - I didn’t want to..I had no choice.”

“You had no choice but to steal?!”

“The money is all in there!” He gestured to the bike that laid ruined. “He - He said this was a greeting.”

Alex’s hands gripped her gun tighter, “Who?”

“I don’t know.” 

The redhead stepped forward and ordered the man to turn to lay on his front and put his hands behind his back. She kneeled beside him as she kept a tight grip on his wrists. “Who sent you?!”

“I swear I don’t know! There was just a pile of money in my mailbox! I - I thought it was a prank but it was all real money. I just followed the instructions!” 

“What were the instructions?”

“It was on a phone, it’s in my pocket.” He moved to reach it but quickly put his hands back up when Alex shot right next to his leg. She kept her weight on his wrists. She reached into the pocket, the man wasn’t lying. In one of the messages there were instructions on what to do and where to be, sent on the day they had arrived.

Suddenly, a new text came in. 

_“Hello, Alex.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, this somehow took a turn but at least it's still a direction. Comments?


	13. Mess Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of everything.

The phone exploded midair.

Alex immediately threw it when she heard a beep after the message. The man kept pleading below her and it was not helping her mood. She was getting pissed at whatever was happening and whoever was trying to pull this load of crap on her. She wanted to escape her job and not be dragged into a different kind of trouble. She tied up his wrists with her belt and had him lean against the tree trunk.

The cops arrived soon after, she gave her statement and told them everything the man told her.

"Thank you, Ma'am. We'll make sure he’s locked up for good. And we'll look into this mystery guy he's talking about."

"Thanks." 

He saw the faraway look on the redhead, "Would you like a ride, ma’am?"

Alex looked over to the slightly broken bike she had used to chase the man and nodded. The blues and reds of the police car lights lit up the surrounding darkness. As she slid into the police officer's vehicle she glimpsed at the other one where the suspect was put inside by two other police men.

Alex asked to be dropped off at the restaurant. Her mother immediately got in her face, checking for injuries of any kind.

"I'm fine," she said, grabbing her mother's hands and putting them down. "He was… I think he was a hired assassin."

"Not a very good one then."

"Kara!" Eliza chastised.

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"Kara's right though," spoke the redhead, "he wasn't a good one because he was nothing more than an ordinary person. He was given money and he just followed the instructions given to him. He didn't know me and I'm not familiar with his face at all."

Mark hummed in thought, "You're right that he may not be like the ones you chase Alex but that was John Corben, he is new around here. An oddball, I guess I'd call him." He went on to explain how the blonde man moved in just last month, barely socialized with anybody. "I don't think he left his home at all."

Alex's brows furrowed, "Then that makes him a more perfect person to hire. No connections with people."

"I can't believe someone is out to kill you," Kara was slightly panicking now, realizing there might be a hit on her older sister. "What are we going to do? Does the FBI use other agents to protect their agents? If that's the case, we have to contact John."

"Calm down dear," Eliza set a hand on Kara's shoulder to stop her from rambling.

"I'm not an undercover cop. At most, I wait around neighborhoods, waiting for pedos to fuck up. There's no reason for me to get…targeted." Alex's voice lowered to a whisper, then turned her around, "Where's Lena and Lexie?"

"They're at Mrs. Willis shop." 

The group walked to the said shop, Alex's head was spinning in thoughts of what happened and the potential trouble that was just about to come. They arrived at the shop, the two policemen were in front of the shop, setting down the two broken bicycles.

They were in awful conditions, especially the one Alex shot, that also made a deep dive into the dirt when Corben tried to steer it.

"I'm really sorry about that, Mrs. Willis."

"As long as you're alright."

"Don't worry about those things," Lena stood by the door, phone in hand, "we'll get new ones and better security tomorrow." There was a small banter of back and forth between Lena and Mrs. Willis but being a CEO she knew her way around making a deal. 

"Is she always this persistent?"

"Yes," Alex smiled, her eyes set on the ravenette, already on the phone with her secretary.

Lena finished her call and turned to see the policemen talking to Mark and Eliza, taking more notes on the incident.

Alex stood beside her. "All good?"

"Everything will be here tomorrow. Are you okay?" Her eyes went over the agent's body to see any injuries.

"Yeah, the guy was an amateur at most." Alex paused then looked over to the people by the entrance. She pulled Lena inside, she saw Kara and Lexie by the window reading a book. She moved them to the corner, near the cash register. "Do you know a John Corben?"

Lena shook her head, "No, nobody that comes to mind. Was that his name?"

"Mark said he just moved here last month. Distant guy."

"Perfect puppet."

Alex nodded, "Yeah, I think so, too."

Lena closed her eyes and rubbed her temple, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"And I keep telling you, I knocked on your door," Alex gave a small smile. "Look, whatever is happening we're going to figure it out. We can go back to National City now. It'll be much safer for you and Lexie."

"You're right,” Lena sighed, “Sorry for ruining your vacation."

"Lena," Alex gently grasped her by the shoulders as she kept eye contact, "I asked you to come here. This isn't your fault, it's whoever the fuck is behind this. Unless you hired someone for me to chase around."

"I would've hired a more professional one."

"Exactly." Alex agreed easily, "You're much smarter about these things."

"Can you get Lexie? I’ll update Jess on the situation and ask Hector to do some research on this John Corben."

"Yeah."

Lexie was sitting on Kara's lap as they read the small book. The cover was a dark purple colour, silhouettes of mountains on the sides and a single person on the middle.

"Hey, kid."

"Alex,” her voice was small, still a bit frightened from everything that happened, “did you win?"

"Yeah, scared him right off his bike." She winked and Lexie gave a small smile. "But we have to go back to National City tomorrow.”

“But you promised we’d go swimming at the beach.” Her little brows furrowed and her lips formed a pout.

Now Alex understood why she was sent to talk with their child. “I’m really sorry Lexie but it’s not safe here right now. Next time.”

“That's what mommy says all the time.” She turned around and burrowed her face into her aunt's chest.

Alex knew parents had to be the bad guy sometimes. She was a complete rebel during her teens and saw her mom as uptight and a boring person. Of course growing up she realized her mother only wanted her to be better as a sister and as a person. But she never would have understood how it actually hurt to be the bad guy. She stroked Lexie’s soft brown locks, the little one refusing to look at her, “I want to keep you safe. Remember that.”

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair, the scrapings of their utensils the only sounds to break the silence surrounding them. After eating, Lena went to the guest room to finish packing her and Lexie’s things. Ironic, just yesterday she was also sitting on the floor and had finished taking their things out of their bags. Their time here was fun while it lasted but she should have known nothing could go smoothly for a Luthor and now she had dragged Alex’s family into this troubling mess.

Eliza knocked on the doorframe, alerting the young CEO to her presence. “Kara and Alex are all done with their packing. Do you need any help?”

“Just Lexie’s toothbrush and towel in the bathroom left.”

She moved to the bathroom and grabbed those two things. She put the toothbrush in the small pouch, folded the blanket and gave them to Lena. 

“I really think you should come with us Eliza,” Lena, still sitting on the floor, turned to face her. 

“I understand you’re afraid but I can’t up and leave my project right now,” Eliza said. “Alex has also told me, or more like ordered me, to go with you but I really have to finish this project.“

Lena bit her lip wanting to argue but decided otherwise, it was one thing to convince Mrs. Willis for new things but this was different. 

The blonde woman patted the bed beside her and Lena sat next to her. “I know you only care about my safety.” She took Lena’s hands in hers, a gentle pat and warm smile had Lena’s shoulder relaxing. “Two days tops. That’s all I need to complete my work. Then I can spend my time in National City with my daughters and granddaughter.”

“Okay, two days tops.”

“Yes, I promise.” Eliza understood that Lena was feeling guilt over what happened last night. Alex was part of an assault team, they wore heavy gears, masks and goggles covered their faces. It would be impossible to know who Alex was but she was targeted, maybe as a form of revenge against Lena. 

“As a precaution I’ll send over some personal bodyguards.”

“You’ve already hired them haven’t you?”

Lena turned away from Eliza with a small blush on her face, “I want to be sure.”

Eliza softly chuckled, “As long as they don’t interfere with my work.”

A knock came from the doorway interrupting the two’s conversations. “I’m all good,” Kara leaned against the doorframe. “Slowpoke.”

The younger ravenette only rolled her eyes.

“Where’s Lexie?”

“She wanted to get some seashells for...practically everybody back at National City. Alex volunteered to go with her.”

“That was a mean move,” Kara squinted her eyes at her best friend in scrutiny. Lexie’s voice was utterly disheartening last night and having Alex face the little munchkin’s sad eyes was probably hurtful to the redhead.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lena moved to arrange the things and zipped up the luggage.

“It all comes with parenting,” said Eliza.

* * *

“Ohhhh...this one will be for Aunt Andrea,” Lexie grabbed the seashell, it was like a small donut but a smaller hole in the center, the patterns were pretty pink lines with bumps all over. “It looks like one of those bracelets.”

Alex had to hold herself from laughing, it definitely looked like a bracelet but she doubted Andrea Rojas wore anything cheaper than anything in the millions. “It looks nice.”

“Did you and granma Eliza do this, too?” She turned around to look at the redhead who kept herself three steps behind Lexie. “Seashell searching?”

Alex shook her head no. “Not really, my parents were often busy with their work and projects so I spent a lot of time in laboratories. My Dad somehow found time to teach me to surf, once. I fell in love with it and asked to have more surfing lessons.”

Both brunettes looked over to the ocean, it was calm this time, as if it understood they needed the peace. 

“Will you teach me?” Shining brown eyes looked into Alex’s, the idea of surfing with the waves sounded amazing to Lexie, she still needed to learn to swim, though maybe Alex can teach her that, too.

Alex’s smile caused crinkles around her eyes. Teaching her daughter one of the hobbies she had fallen in love with would be a wonderful experience, “I would love to.” She squatted in front of Lexie, she curled the loose strands around her ear, her hair was reaching the middle of her upper arm. Her chubby little cheeks, the way her lips upturned in a smile and a small dimple would appear she was like Lena in all the small but most beautiful ways and now looking closer into her eyes, she could see specks of green around those brown eyes. “For now, I need to keep you and your mother safe. Okay?”

Her lips pursed but she nodded in understanding. 

“Soon.”

Lexie looked at Alex with a raised brow.

“We’ll come back here and swim and surf all you want, soon.”

“Okay,” she grinned then moved to put her collected shell in a box given by her granma Eliza. Now free of them, she grabbed Alex’s hand. “You can find the seashell for mommy.”

The two spent a few more minutes on the beach, trying to find the perfect shell for Lena. They had collected about ten. Kara had joined them when they had narrowed it down to six. Finally they were choosing between two.

“Why don’t you two,” Kara picked up the two remaining seashells and held up one to each brunette, “just each give her one of these?” The look they gave Kara almost offended the blonde, she was a reporter at CatCo for goodness sake but their dilemma was fixed and they can now go back to the house for lunch.

This time everyone was conversing, the air a bit more lighter, the events of last night forgotten even if it was only for this moment in time.

* * *

It was an hour after lunch when they were finally on the road back to National City. They bid their goodbyes to Eliza, the two bodyguards Lena hired had arrived 10 minutes before they had to leave. Lena had trust in them but that didn't mean Alex skipped out on scaring them and reminding them of her position in the FBI.

"Don't worry, Alex. They're very good people." Lena was now the one in the driver's seat. They did agree that Alex would be the one to drive back home, they didn't expect it this soon.

Alex only hummed in reply.

Lena looked at the rearview mirror and saw Kara’s head leaning against Lexie's car seat both sound asleep.

"Do you think Mark is going to be okay with the decorating?"

Alex snorted, "No but I'm sure the staff will do great. I kinda wanted to see it. If it's any grander than what I did."

Lena's smile dimmed, her teeth bit on her bottom lip, uncertainty clouding her right now but she had to speak about it. "Alex, I'm sorry."

The redhead's brows furrowed in confusion, "What for?"

"The night before, I was filled with emotions and...and I just. I shouldn't have done it."

It being the kiss they shared, that became obvious to Alex. She had lied to Kara about this little thing. They had agreed to put the past in the past, to focus on their daughter and Alex has breathed a little easier since then. But that night, that kiss made her heart jump and leap in happiness. Lena's lips were as soft as she remembered but more plump than before. The next morning she woke up in a panic when she realized what they did. The young CEO had not said anything about it, until now. 

"I'm really sorry Alex," Lena's voice was a bit strained, "we said we'll focus on Lexie and that is the best course of action. We can't," she huffed in frustration, it was like something was clogging up her heart's arteries, "we have just buried our past and we can't -" 

Alex grabbed Lena's hand that was gripping the console, "I understand what you're trying to say and you're right. Lexie is our priority right now, I shouldn't have kissed you back knowing we couldn't work right now but I…" she licked her lips, then took a breath, "I'll always care. No matter what course we take in all this -

"Mess?"

"I was thinking more of adventure," she grinned.

Lena squeezed Alex's hand for a second, their hands fit perfectly together. Alex's was a bit calloused, she felt what seemed to be a scar on top of her knuckles. She probably caressed the scar too long because Alex spoke up.

"It's from...a stupid accident."

"On the field?"

Alex let out a humorless chuckle, "I wish. I was engaged to someone, too soon I guess." 

The ravenette turned her head to look at Alex realizing she was about to share a big part of her past that she ceased to be part of.

"I found out much too late that she didn't want kids." 

"Oh." A family has always been a big part of Alex's future plans. 

"I thought I could live with it but whenever my workmates brought their kids to our hang-outs or even when they would just tell stories of them I realized I couldn't give that up. I just couldn't."

"So you two broke off the engagement."

"Yes and I punched a mirror for it." She felt Lena caress the scar again. "I was angry drunk and I punched myself but I was surprised to find out it was just the mirror."

Lena shook her head, knowing she was just trying to lighten up the mood. "I'm sorry for what happened."

"Everything happens for a reason, right?"

"Cause and effect?"

"I think I got too much effect if you ask me."

Lena snorted. "Well, being drunk adds a times two effect."

"What about you," she glanced at her, "got any drunk stories?"

"I don't think it would top yours."

"Still," she squeezed Lena's hand, "I wanna hear whatever story you have."

Lena hummed in thought, "I was badly hungover but had a business meeting to attend. I ended up going with the coat hanger still in my jacket."

Alex kept herself from bursting out laughing. "How did you not notice?"

"I don't know, I was tired and wanted to get work done, I was lucky I was just sitting on the chair the whole time. I was complaining of back ache when Jess saw it."

"I would have been laughing if I saw that."

Lena rolled her eyes, "It wasn't very funny when my shoulders were hurting. It did keep my back straight."

And so they exchanged stories from various points in their lives, of the most random events that happened until the two in the backseat awoke wanting snacks.

* * *

It was long hours of driving but they had finally made it back into National City and to Lena’s mansion. The grand gates opened and Alex drove them through the winding road down to the underground garage. The butler was already there waiting. He had a friendly face with a bit of graying hair. It surprised Alex that he was wearing the stereotypical clothes that butler’s wore. A white shirt with a collar, a perfect black tie, wrinkle free grey vest and grey striped trousers. He had white gloves on and she could see the metal link of a pocket watch. He took all their luggage from the trunk and carried them to the elevator.

“Why don’t you two stay here for a while?” said Lena, “Whoever sent Corben is still out there. This is a 30,000 sq ft. of land, no one within a mile here and we have the best defensive security.”

“Is there a pool?”

“Kara!”

“What?”

“Yes! It’s this big!” Lexie stretched out her small arms into the widest length she could. “But we’re going to build a smaller pool and Mommy said maybe next year we have some of my classmates to come here for a pool party on my birthday.” She said all that in one breathe, the happiness from having friends come over to play with her was very exciting.

“Are we going to be invited?” Alex asked, a playful grin on her face. 

Lexie nodded, “As long as you bring gifts.” 

“She’s your kid alright,” Kara laughed while Lexie kept smiling innocently.

“Ms. Luthor, shall I prepare the rooms?”

Lena turned to address the man, still waiting in the elevator, “Yes, Cedric. And no need to be so formal in front of them.” 

Subtly his brow raised in question but he nodded his head nonetheless. “I’ll take these up first. Food has been prepared and they’re all set in the dining room.”

“Thank you, Cedric.”

* * *

Once they’ve filled their stomachs, Alex and Kara are led to their rooms by the Luthor ladies. 

"There’s a lot of rooms in this house,” Lena said as she led them up to the second floor. “Cedric is occupying the one in the basement by the entertainment room.”

The two couldn’t help but gawp at the sheer size of the place and apparently this wasn’t even part of the biggest mansions list.

“You can share this room if you want,” Lena opened the door, the bedroom was quite big with the queen sized bed there was also a small L-shaped couch facing the bed and a flat screen TV on the wall. “But like I said, there are literally three more other rooms so you can each have one.”

“We can get a room each?” asked Kara in surprise. This was more room space than their bedroom in Midvale and her new apartment.

Lena smirked, "This is a mansion with 5 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, an entertainment/game room, a gym, an outdoor pool and a basketball court. The wide yard is also a plus."

With each part of the house being said the Danvers' sister's eyes grew wider and wider. They knew a mansion was big but not that big.

"Yet you live in the penthouse."

The young CEO shrugged, "Closer to work. We come here on the weekends and make science."

"Uh-huh. Aunt Andrea, Aunt Sam and Ruby sometimes come for Saturday Fam Day!"

"Sounds like a fun day," Alex said.

"Yeah but mommy sometimes gets stuck in her labs."

"Tattletale." Lena suddenly picked up Lexie, the little one screaming at the onslaught of raspberry kisses on her cheeks. She finally stopped but kept Lexie in her arms. "I get too lost in my work that I forget about time."

The two sisters were once again in a state of shock, seeing Lena carefree and out of poise was always a surprise, it wasn’t a bad thing but it was unusual. Her shirt was all crinkled from Lexie's movement, her jean's cuffs were a bit uneven and her hair was now in a disarray. Alex could see how genuine and big her smile was as she held Lexie close to her. 

"What?"

_"Her blushing face is cute as ever."_

"Nothing!" Kara's laugh was a bit off but Lena let it go. "I'm going to take advantage of every little thing in this mansion. We are still technically on leave from our jobs."

Alex agreed, “I’m not opposed to that but I want to get back at my place tomorrow and maybe we can contact Winn to do some background check.”

“There’s no need,” said Lena as she set Lexie down. “I asked Jess to do it and to keep it on the down low.”

“I don’t doubt Jessica Huang is good at her job but I think an FBI agent may have a bit more to dig.”

* _Oh no.”_ Kara thought. “Incoming competitive sides,” she whispered. Lexie stood next to her aunt as her parents seemed to be arguing again.

“Isn’t that illegal?” 

“I’m technically an FBI agent that needs research,” Alex crossed her arms, a smile on her lips.

“Aren’t there any papers that need to be processed and signed first?” Lena smirked with a raised brow and Lexie realised they weren’t really, really arguing. It was like how her aunts and mom would sometimes talk, Ruby said she would understand more once she grew up but she kinda understood now, it was all like a playfight. She hoped that their fights would only ever always be a play fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy and comment your thoughts.  
> I don't have much to say except keep wearing your masks and distance yourself from other humans.


	14. Details of Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about the Corben situation but it just leads to more confusion. Andrea has arrived, how will that go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I am back here.  
> Okay, so I have major plot points to this story and it's how we all get to thos plot points that is the hard part. lol

“Isn’t this illegal?”

Alex had to sigh in exasperation. “It’s fine, Winn. Just don’t tell anybody.” 

“That’s not very reassuring.” Winn was nervously twiddling with the telephone wire. Now he understood why he was in this telephone booth at 6:00AM. He had just followed Alex’s instructions and you always follow what Alex Danvers tells you to do.

Alex was still at Lena’s mansion but Winn didn’t need to know that. She was given a phone by the ravenette that was apparently untraceable. She stood on the balcony of the room she was staying in. She looked back inside and this room was like a five star apartment. Her and Kara agreed to take a different room each since they were offered by Lena. She got the one further down the hall and it had almost the same features as Kara’s. There was a beautiful marble bathroom, a walk-in closet and an awesome view on the other side of the backyard. Alex wanted to live here just because it all looked so comfortable. 

“Listen, it’s just a minor background search. This guy tried to kill me, I guess, but he was an amateur or at least that’s what I think.”

“Okay you seemed to have left out a big detail there.”

“Can you just," Alex sighed, "please.” 

Winn’s eyes bugged out from hearing that word.

“I think he was hired to get to Lena Luthor.” 

This time his brows raised higher at the revelation, _”More surprises”_

“And maybe you can track down -

“Whoever hired them.”

“Yes,” Alex answered, “I don’t know what they want but I’m not going to stand by and wait for their next attack.” Her hand gripped the phone tighter, if there was someone out there trying to hurt Lena or Lexie she will catch them herself and make sure they’re punished thoroughly for even thinking about hurting them.

“Alright, I’ll do it but what do I get in return?”

“I won’t punch your arm for a week.”

Winn hummed, “It almost sounds good but I’d rather know why you’re so concerned with Luthor.”

“Her name’s Lena,” she grumbled. “And you know we're friends from before. We ended up meeting a couple weeks ago, we got to talking and she went to Midvale with Kara and I.”

“Wait,” Winn frowned in thought, “where are you now then?”

Alex groaned, this one in definite annoyance, "Just do the research!”

The brunette man almost jumped from the sudden exclamation of Alex’s voice, “Sheesh, okay, okay. Got it boss.”

“Be careful.”

“Again, not very reassuring.”

* * *

When Alex got downstairs to join the three girls for breakfast, she was greeted by Cedric the butler. 

“Good morning, Ms. Alex.”

“Uhh...just Alex.”

“Very well, Alex.” Cedric grabbed two cups from the cupboard and on perfect timing the expensive looking coffee machine. It looked like one of those machines you’d find in an equally expensive coffee shop. From Alex’s view, it looked complicated, a few buttons here and there and viola the perfect cup of coffee was in front of her.

“Thank you.” Alex let the cup warm up her hands. Cedric stayed on the opposite side of the marble counter.

“You know I’ve trained in taekwondo and jiu jitsu,” he started off casually. His voice was a bit hoarse because of his age but it was firm and telling, it made Alex sit up straight. “I have practiced shooting pistols, rifles and sniper guns. All of those I’ve done to become the best I could be at the academy. At the moment I heard of my hiring, I didn’t know if Lionel Luthor was truly impressed with my background or I was just another person to hire. Everyone else would either be jumping for joy or sulking at being hired by him.” His fingers gently held the handle of the cup as he took a sip. The Fazenda Santa Ines coffee had a hint of sweetness of the aromatic cherry. “I leaned on the sulking side more but then I found out I was being appointed to be the bodyguard of the new adopted Luthor heiress. When Lionel died I was fired by Ms. Lillian then rehired again by Lena when Lexie turned one.”

Alex remained silent as she listened to the man. Her hands were folded on the table, her cup of coffee remained untouched while Cedric took another sip.

“The moment I met the young heiress I made a promise to myself.” He held eye contact with the young woman before him. “That I will protect that sweet child with my own life and now it has extended to Lexie. I may be of old age now but I intend on keeping that promise. Alex, I only hope you have nothing but the best interest for Lena and Lexie. Because as much as she portrays to be a steely, ice queen we both know she is the kindest and softest person, she does not deserve another heartbreak.” He put away his empty cup in the sink while Alex was left with her own cold coffee. “The girls are outside having breakfast at the garden by the pool.”

Just as he said that there was a splash from outside and what seemed to be Lena screaming. Alex left the cup on the counter and moved to the floor to ceiling window. She saw Kara and Lena roughhousing, she gently opened the arched doorway and as she walked closer, Kara was literally dragging Lena, who was crouched down trying very hard not to be pulled by Kara. Lexie was on the shallow side of the pool laughing at her mother’s predicament.

“Kara I swear! I will let you sleep out here!”

Kara grinned, “You forget I’m a girl scout.” She was getting successful, two feet away from the pool. “Alex, help me out!”

“Don’t you dare, Alex!” Of course Alex Danvers always takes on a dare, Lena should have known that. So when Alex moved in to grab at her arms she was done for. She tried moving but at the same time she didn’t want to fall on the concrete so with a heave from both Danvers sisters she was thrown into the pool with a splash. 

“You two -”

“Cannonball!!”

Lena's sentence turned into a gargle from the splash of water. As much as she wanted to be mad, Kara’s laugh was too contagious and she couldn’t help the big grin on her face.

“Mommy! Mommy! Come get me!” Lexie stood on the steps her arms outstretched. Lena swam over to her daughter and carried her in her arms. “Come play Alex.”

“I’m going to get changed first,” she gestured to her sleeping clothes.

“Oh no you don’t,” Lena went closer to the edge bringing along Lexie, “Get her baby girl!”

With a squeal and a laugh Lexie lunged at Alex and hugged her legs tightly, “Swim! Swim!”

“Alright, alright,” said Alex with a chuckled, “you win.” She picked up Lexie and had her ride on her shoulders, holding her hands tightly as she carefully walked over to the steps and joined her sister and Lena at the deeper end. They enjoyed themselves for the better part of the morning, splashing and eating the food prepared, Kara really loved the food. Cedric had apparently hired a chef to cook for the remaining days they were staying.

Alex, Kara and Lexie enjoyed playing in the pool while Lena had gotten out just a few minutes after. She stayed in the shade of the porch doing a bit of work, she finally had access to her personal laptop. She had informed her friends of what happened and what the current situation is. Andrea is planning to visit, probably later while Sam was too caught up on work but she texted her that she will drop by tomorrow.

“Hey.”

Alex was dripping wet. Her sleeping wear consisted of short shorts and a tank top and it left nothing to the imagination. Specifically, Lena’s imagination and then scientifically it’s not possible for the brain to short circuit but Lena may just do a research on that because her mind went blank at the site of Alex dripping wet in front of her. “H - Hi.. you guys done?”

“Good luck getting the little rugrat out of there,” she grinned, completely oblivious to Lena’s little predicament. 

“She really loves the water, next summer she wants to start to learn how to swim properly.”

“Why wait, we can start now. I can come over on the days I’m free.”

“Are you sure?” Lena’s brows furrowed. “I don’t know how the FBI fully works but I’m quite sure it’s tiring.”

“We’re working on papers right now so other than my eyes getting eyebags I’m all good. U - Unless you don’t like the idea.” Alex backtracked realizing she was probably pushing on it too much.

“No, of course not. I mean, it’s fine. I just want to make sure it won’t interfere with your own plans.”

Alex nodded, “I literally have no plans.” And Alex meant that in a bigger sense, she had no idea what she has truly been trying to do with her life, pouring herself into work, jumping from relationship to the next. All this time she was trying to keep her mind and heart busy, she’s had no solid plan for the past four years. Even now with Lena and Lexie in her life she has no idea what exactly to do but she is willing to take on this adventure no matter how uncertain it may seem.

“Okay,” Lena smiled.

* * *

It was just five minutes after 1:00 when Winn had sent a text. The group were in the basement where the entertainment room was located. The playstation had been taken control by Alex and Kara once Lexie fell asleep. They started cussing at each other when they were sure she was out of earshot. 

Lena had caught her attention when the phone had started vibrating on the couch.

“It’s Winn." She planned to keep it to herself but seeing the other two's look of interest had her staying in front of the couch. 

"Put him on speaker," requested Lena.

"What do you have, Winn?"

"Wow, no greeting whatsoever."

"Fine. Hi, it seems you're still alive and not in trouble. Also, you're on speaker."

"Oh," Winn was blushing on the other end. He was in the fire exit stairs on the 13th floor just about to have his lunch. He had his personal tablet (his boss' really don't need to know that) on him. "I'm, okay, hi."

"Hi, Winn," said Kara.

"Hello, Mr. Schott."

"Oh wow," his voice raised in excitement, "is that Lena Luthor?"

"Wow, way to ignore your best friend!" 

"Can we please get on with this impromptu meeting?" asked Alex, exasperatedly.

"Right."

"Sorry."

"I didn't do anything," Lena smirked and Alex rolled her eyes.

"So that man," Winn started, "John Corben, uh, he's not an amateur."

Everyone turned serious and carefully listened to Winn.

"He's actually a professional assassin, he has connections with the Intergang and he was linked to the genocide in Corto Maltese. He's been hired by multiple people of power to ya know, assassinate other people of power."

“That’s what Jess has sent us already," said Lena, reading the list of people that have hired Corben. The research Jess had gotten was sent through Lena’s encrypted email as well, it had the details on Corben, his past, his works, every person that had hired him and every person he had been sent to kill. They all matched with what Winn had sent them now.

"Yes but what I don’t get is that he didn't have anything on him except a gun and when I confronted him he looked like he was about to piss himself!” Alex yelled in frustration. “This doesn't make sense."

“The pissing himself part kind of does,” he murmured but he was definitely heard by the three. “I’ve got a lot of information on him but you said you already have that. Alex is right, it doesn’t really show why he was after Alex or even Lena Luthor.”

“So you have no idea who sent the money to him?”

“No, I don’t. Whoever contacted him had a very secure line, I can’t find it. But I do have two, kind of, good news.”

“Continue.”

“I have a location of where the messages were sent from.” His voice took on enthusiasm. "Exploding the phone was a brilliant idea on their part.” 

“And my hand and face would be no more,” Alex said.

“Except for that part,” Winn winced, “Anyway, I had some satellite help to pinpoint the location based on the time you said the messages may have been sent. I completely understand why you couldn’t give a specific time.”

“Winn,” Alex chastised, the man was rambling again.

“Right, right. Sorry. The messages were sent from Metropolis,” he hesitated for a moment, “..from Chinatown...in a small ramen shop.”

Alex could feel a throb on her head. This was a completely planned out attack but it seemed for these people it was all just a game.

“What’s the other news?” Kara asked when the two fell silent, mulling over their own thoughts.

“I’ve been keeping tabs on the Midvale police computer in Corben's case, thank God for technology, and he was bailed out just this morning."

"What?!" Alex and Kara exclaimed in anger.

"By who?" Lena asked, calmly.

"Checking...checking.." he murmured, for a moment only the tapping of keys from his laptop sounded through, "Found her. He was bailed out by someone named Mercy Graves."

Lena felt a ringing in her ear, memories of an old mansion, of the little fashion shows and training with guns.

"Lena?"

Lena snapped out of the memories, Kara was now in front of her, a concerned look on her face. Alex was over at the corner now, still talking to Winn.

"I'm sorry, I just got lost in thought. Did Winn say Mercy Graves?"

Kara nodded, "Yeah." 

"Okay," Alex turned to face the two again, "so he was bailed out by Mercy at 9AM, she was with a man -”

Kara frowned, "How did you -”

"Hacked CCTV." Both answered realizing Winn must have done just that.

"If it's Mercy Graves then it must have been her brother, Otis, that was with her."

“Why would they be after you?”

“I don’t know.” Lena shrugged, a condescending smile on her face. Why were people always after her life? For one, she is a Luthor cursed to be forever loathed and haunted by her family’s actions. “Money? Power? A share of L-Corp? They could be after a lot of things from me but I don’t care. If they touch a single hair on my daughter I will kill them myself.”

Alex held Lena by the shoulders, the CEO wrapped her arms around herself. “I will not let them hurt you.”

Lena nodded and Kara moved in for the hug, knowing she was in shock at this discovery. People she knew from her past were out to get her.

* * *

“Alex.”

“Andrea.”

Andrea Rojas had just arrived in time for their afternoon snacks.

The two stood in the living room, holding eye contact. The atmosphere was tense and still, a moment longer and dark clouds could be rolling in any moment.

“Please sit down. Both of you.” Lena said from her seated position on the couch. Finally breaking their little staring competition. Andrea took a seat beside her while Alex opted to sit on the arm of the single sofa, where Kara sat.

“Are you okay?” asked Andrea, grasping Lena’s hands in hers.

“Yes, I wasn’t really the one that was being chased,” she looked over to Alex.

“What? But I thought you said you were targeted.”

“It’s all very confusing right now but we think they tried to target Alex as a warning against me.”

“Hm.. they should have done a better job,” she looked over at the redhead with a raised eyebrow not seeing any injuries.

“Hey! That’s my sister!” Kara exclaimed.

“Andrea!” Lena chastised her friend but the Puerto-Rican didn’t look one bit sorry. “This is a serious matter and if you could please put aside personal problems right now, that would be nice. There are criminals going after people I care about and we’ve gathered information that it could be Mercy Graves behind it all.”

“Mercy…” Andrea murmured in surprise. “Why - Why on earth would she do this?”

Lena sighed, “I didn’t want to think about it but Mercy is loyal to one person and one person only.”

“Lex.” Andrea and Alex answered at the same time.

“You agree on something, wonderful.” Lena said with sarcasm in her voice.

“Hey,” Andrea grabbed her friend’s attention, “I’m sorry, okay?” She breathed in deep, “We’re going to figure this out. I’ll contact the people in charge of Cell Block X and ask them to double check anything and everything in his cell and to give us a list of people who have contacted him and he has contacted.”

“Thank you.” Lena hugged her tightly before Andrea moved to talk to his secretaries on the phone outside. She turned to face Alex and Kara, “I’m sorry about her.”

“No, I understand where she’s coming from, angry best friend right?” She shrugged, “Besides, we always hated each other.”

“In a good way,” Lena said, “You were always competitive with each other but you were also great when you teamed up together.”

“Mhmm… winning that beer pong championship was amazing. I think that will always be Andrea Rojas’ peak.”

“The media would have a field day over that,” said a grinning Kara.

“Good idea,” said Alex, her thinking face on then with a serious face turned to Kara “I’ll tell you all about it and you can publish it.” She got a slap on the arm from Lena but Kara was quite eager for the idea of it.

“Okay, I’ve got it all scheduled. Where’s el pequeño?”

“She should just be waking up,” Lena looked at the wall clock and sure enough, Lexie came walking in the living room like an adorable zombie, escorted by Cedric. The maids behind him were carrying trays of their lunch. Lemonade juice, strawberries filled with nutella and bits of nuts, frozen chocolate covered banana bites, a personalized fruit pizza topped with blueberries, kiwi’s and raspberries and there were also empanadillas and mallorca’s which were one of Lena’s favorite guilty foods but she always paired it with some kale juice.

“Oh wow,” said Kara, “when you said we were eating healthy you meant it.”

“You don’t seem to be complaining,” Alex rolled her eyes with a smile as her sister grabbed one of each and put them on her plate.

“Alex…” Lexie softly thumped her head against the older one’s legs, her eyes still closed, Stuffie in her right hand.

Alex scooped her up in her arms. “Had a nice nap?”

Lexie hummed. She laid her head on Alex’s arms, which gave her a clear view on her Aunt Kara munching on the food. The blonde seeing she got the little one's eyes on her, made her cheeks puff with the food and made faces at Lexie, making the little girl giggle.

Andrea was seeing firsthand the bond that had formed between Lexie and the Danver’s sisters. It was different to see Alex Danvers this caring and soft or perhaps it’s just been so long that she has seen her that way. Not to mention she also probably drew up Alex as a bad guy in her head the moment her and Lena met in Metropolis and her best friend broke down in her arms. She understood that situations such as a child changed things but while Lena might be putting her walls down for Lexie she was not part of the equation so her hate is completely justified.

Lexie, with a bit more alertness, asked to be put down. She walked over to her Aunt Andrea seated on the couch near her mommy, she gave her Aunt a kiss on the cheek.

“I thought you had completely forgotten about me,” the woman joked.

Lexie shook her head side to side and leaned back against her aunt, who was luckily wearing pants from work today, Lexie was bracketed by her legs. She accepted the chocolate filled strawberry from her mother and quietly munched on it. The rest of the group talked of work rather than the heavy topic that was very much at the forefront of their minds.

They had agreed for Winn to come over later tonight, Alex said she “prompted” him to take the day off tomorrow in any case they would need help.

“Is that kale?” asked Kara with a disgusted look on her face.

“Yes,” Lena rolled her eyes.

“You hate kale,” Alex said this with a mixture of shock and scrutiny.

Lena shrugged her shoulders, sipping away at her kale juice, “I used to but when I started working out to get rid of the baby fat it became a favorite of mine.”

“But - But..” Kara stuttered, betrayal in her eyes, “we made a pact against it.”

Andrea snorted but quickly hid it with a cough, “A pact against kale?”

“It’s an evil taste that should never have come to life.”

“Is she this dramatic?” she turned to the ravenette and Lena nodded, “What on earth do you and Sam see in these two.”

Kara’s eyes widened, “Wh - What…,” she chuckled awkwardly, “What do you mean? Who...what is Sam?”

The Puerto-Rican smirked, “She didn’t tell me but a few info here and there from her had me figuring out it was you she slept with.”

Alex almost choked on her food, “You what?!” she turned to her sister, now all red around her face.

“It wasn’t anything!”

The two CEOs before Kara raised their right eyebrow in sync.

She put up her hands, as if trying to calm down two wild tigers, “I mean! She was great, amazing with her tongue.”

“Kara!” Alex squealed. She did not need to know that, she did not even need to remember that her sister has sex with people.

“I’m sorry!” 

While two of the adults in the living room were petrified the other two were smiling and laughing amusedly and Lexie, while not fully understanding everything, was laughing along with her mommy. 

_“Such liveliness."_ Cedric thought as she looked over at Lena, the corners of her eyes crinkled, happiness beaming from her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all like this chapter. Please leave a comment for this messy author.


	15. Self Invited Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who are these self invited guests and will they be any actual help to our case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the beginning, there was the beginning. hello there, I've been a little distracted with drawing but i hope you all enjoy this.

“Lena, Mr. Winn Schott Jr. has arrived. Hector is driving down the garage as we speak.” Cedric stood before the group. Andrea had gone home for the night, promising to give Lena the updates on the prison’s reports. “He seems to have some people with him as well.”

“What!” Alex realized she has been exclaiming this word the whole day. _”Apparently everyone has decided to keep surprising me.”_

“Yes, two people, Ms. Vasquez and Ms. Lane.”

“Deep breathes, deep breathes…” Alex muttered to herself, she stood from the couch and started pacing, muttering the same thing over and over.

“Is Alex okay?” Lexie looked at her other mother, walking back and forth on the same two tiles. 

“She’s fine,” Kara waved away Lexie’s worries. “Sometimes these happen,” Kara continued to watch the show, which was a kid’s show but it has gotten her hooked.

“Wait, Lane?” Lena asked, confused. 

“Lucy Lane, Lois’ younger sister,” said Kara, understanding Lena might have thought it was Lois Lane.

“Oh. I thought she was in the military.”

“You know Lucy?” asked Alex, finally stopping her pacing.

“No but I sort of remember her. His Dad was...a sort of friend of Father’s. He mentioned a daughter following his footsteps and whatnot. I was quite sure it wasn’t Lois.”

“Well, you’re right but she left just a year and a half of service and ended up with the FBI,” explained Alex.

“Shall I let them enter?” asked Cedric, still standing before them.

“Yes, Cedric.”

And so a few minutes later, a very scared Winn, a stoic Vasquez and a smugly grinning Lucy all stood before Alex. They were in the “other side” of the living room, as Alex had dubbed it. The agent looked at Winn with fire in her eyes.

“Eep! I swear, they threatened me!” He shouted, arms up against his chest as if in surrender, “I was minding my own business when they cornered me!”

“He wasn’t very subtle with his sneaking,” said Vasquez, standing between Winn and Lucy.

“It didn’t take much,” Lucy, who wore a purple tank top and black skinny jeans, moved to sit on the long couch and got comfortable, crossing her legs. “Holy shit is that a bar in the living room?!”

“I would like for you to not curse in front of my child,” Lena glared at the woman.

“Woops,” she sheepishly said then looked over to the other side of the living room and smirked, “Which one though, the blonde or the brunette?” she asked as she saw Kara covering the little one's ears but she also had an affronted look on her face.

Alex rolled her eyes but answered, “Both. Now what did you do to Winn?”

Lucy shrugged, “He was jittery and with a little threat to his robot toy -

“His name is R2-D2!” Winn cut in.

“And he was blurting it out,” She gestured to the man as if showing an example. “Why didn’t you tell us about this?” The short brunette held up a thick, brown folder, which probably held the information Winn had taken.

“It’s not a big deal. We just needed some research done.” She snatched away the envelope from Lucy’s hand. “Now, if you could leave I’m trying to enjoy my vacation.”

“This is your vacation?” Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Stressing over this situation or do you have a stress reliever?” She smirked.

“Lucy!” Alex blushed red in the face while Lena kept a good stoic look on her face. Lucy Lane’s forwardness was rather familiar.

_”Not so different from her sister it seems.”_

“Alex!” Lucy exclaimed back, “Don’t be rude, introduce us.”

The redhead groaned but went on to introduce the two, “This shhi...dumbface is Lucy Lane.”

Lucy winked.

“This is Agent Susan Vasquez, one of the best of our team.”

“Call me Vasquez, please,” she shook hands with Lena firmly.

“And this is Winn.”

“Wait, where’s my descriptive word?”

“Your clothes say enough for you,” Alex said pointedly looking at his checkered shirt.

“Hey, I like this,” he pouted, patting his blue checkered shirt.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Lena said then looked over at Lucy. “Partially.”

“Ouch,” Lucy put a heart against her chest in mock pain.

“We’ve got dinner prepared, hopefully it will feed us all since we have some unexpected guests and Kara here can be a big pit when it comes to food.” 

“I call dibs on all the potstickers,” Kara stood from the couch and made her way to the dining room. 

Lexie on the other hand went over to her mothers. “Alex,” she whispered not so successfully, “are they your friends?”

“Hell yeah we are.” Lucy got double the amount of glares at her. “Sorry.”

“Mr. Rodgers also likes to curse,” said Lexie.

"You've heard him?" Lena frowned.

Lexie hummed, “Sometimes he gets too close to your office door and I hear him cursing….” she bit down on her lip not fully finishing her sentence, as Mr. Rodgers often cursed her mommy but her mommy never cursed back at him.

“If you would all follow me,” Cedric appeared from behind the group giving them a bit of fright, “Ms. Kara might take on all the food for tonight.”

The group followed the butler’s lead, Alex stayed a bit hesitant. 

“Give us a moment?” asked Lena. When the mother-daughter were the only ones left, Lena took a seat and Lexie followed her lead.

"I shouldn't have said that," Lexie moped.

"I'm glad you did. Mr. Rodgers is an awful man that has a very backward way of thinking." Lena's passionate hate for the man was seeping through but she immediately calmed remembering her daughter was right next to her. "So don't ever listen to what he says because he's just a hateful old man."

Lexie pursed her lips and nodded.

"You remember how I said our last name is a big thing with people?"

A nod again.

"For some, it's a big negative thing."

"And Mr. Rodgers is one of them that thinks that," Lexie stated.

"Yes, thank you for telling me that. I think I'll have Jess reinforce the soundproofing of the doors."

"I think he's just really, really, really loud." Lexie nodded to herself at this fact. 

Lena chuckled, "Maybe. Come on, let's have dinner."

"Mommy, we're going to be okay, right? 'Cause we have Aunt Andrea, Aunt Sam, Ruby, Jess and Cedric are here to protect us and then Alex has lotsa friends, too."

"Yes, baby girl, we're going to be okay."

* * *

“The big screen has to be my favorite.” 

The group settled at the dining room. From the delicious meat and savory sauces to the tasty vegetables, the cooks had definitely made them quite a feast. This has been the only time this long dining table has been occupied by this many people. Lena and Lexie would often have breakfast in bed and when Sam and Andrea were around, the table by the kitchen occupied with four seats sufficed them.

"We have to try a horror movie on that thing,” Lucy leaned over the table eagerly.

“Lena doesn’t like horror movies,” Alex said without thought.

“It’s fine, I’ve grown a tolerance over it since Sam really loves horror movies.”

“Oh."

“Well I don’t like them,” said Kara, “and they’re not suitable for children.”

“Well we can knock the little rugrat out first.”

“I am concerned with how you just said that,” Lena said, a single eyebrow raised at the younger Lane.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m not the greatest with children,” Lucy smiled sheepishly. “Alex here is like a magical godmother makes little babies stop crying when she carries them.”

“Shut up.”

“I want to watch a horror movie,” Lexie pouted at her mother.

“Darling, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Remember the last time you watched a horror movie with Aunt Sam and Ruby.”

“But I want to stay with you guys. And I know Ms Lucy means to make me go to sleep early.”

“Whoa, Ms Lucy is like my great grand aunt. Just call me Lucy, kid.”

“Okay...Lucy.”

“Anyways, maybe we can watch a lesser horror movie. A little jumpscare should be fine. We just gotta try it with horror.”

“Sure,” said Lena, “10 bucks per head.”

“Oh come on Luthor,” Lucy whined like a little kid, adding in a pout.

Lena’s eyes widened for a moment, hearing someone refer to her last name with no negativity behind it. Sam and Andrea have been her friends for years but never referred to her as Luthor, perhaps it was because they knew it was a bit of a sore-word of sorts.

“I get we crashed your vacation,” Lucy continued, not noticing the way Lena had stiffened at the mention of her last name, “but we were just concerned with this airhead.” She pointed at Alex with her fork, a cut pork on the end of it dripping with sauce.

“Honestly, Lucy, where are your manners?”

“What?” She shrugged. “It’s just us here, no lousy parents to tell us what to do,” she held eye contact with Lena, that showed the ravenette that Lucy had a few memories of the dinners they had with their families.

“Still,” said Alex, “stop spilling sauce all over. My kid is better at keeping her shirt clean than you.”

As if to make a point, Lucy stuffed her face with more food and Alex could only roll her eyes.

Lexie was keeping quiet to herself, enjoying the kind of entertainment the adults were doing with all the words and actions. These people were so different from the ones she remembered back at the Luthor mansion of her grandmother. They all sat stiffly against the chair, hands poised at the simple act of cutting the steak. There weren’t any loud talks, just small murmurs and oftentimes it felt like report time for her. Her grandmother would ask her to tell her everything she did from morning ‘til night and her grandmother would always tell her to do this or that. When she was asked by her aunt Kara and granma to tell them stories about school they looked like they were really listening to her and they didn’t get angry at her for not getting a perfect score in their class’ spelling bee.

When it finally registered in her head, Lucy had to swallow the food before it spit out of her. “Wait, kid?” 

“Your kid?” Both Winn and Vasquez asked then turned to the little brunette that sat next to Lena.

Lexie ducked her head, the sudden stares making her feel shy and uncomfortable.

“Yes,” Alex held a firm look, making eye contact with each one fo them, “Lexie is my daughter.”

Lucy’s mouth was rendered useless, hanging open in shock.

“How come we’ve never known about her?” asked Vasquez, the one that finally recovered from the shock.

“It’s...It’s a long story,” said Alex. “But she’s my daughter. Lena and mine. And we are co-parenting.”

There was a long bout of silence, no one really knowing what to say. The three new guests were shocked while the others waited for their reply.

“Damn, Danvers,” Lucy muttered.

Lena sighed, “You’re free to use whatever in the mansion." She said, changing the subject, she did not mind others knowing, they were all bound to find out about Lexie especially since Alex will be in their lives. But she would rather have them discuss it in their own time and not in front of Lexie. "After dinner, Cedric will show you to the other spare rooms we have although someone might have to sleep in the entertainment room, I promise the couch isn't as bad as it looks.”

“Lucy and I will share a room,” said Vasquez.

“Um yeah. I think Ced over there already grabbed our bags.”

“Wait, you’re staying?” Alex cut in.

“We took some days off to try and help,” said Vasquez, not looking up from her plate as she sliced through the fresh and juicy pork. “It seemed you’re going to take some more eyes to find out whatever it is exactly you’re trying to find out.”

“We just needed some background check,” Alex gave them the same answer from before.

“Then why did you ask Winn to take the day off for tomorrow?” asked Lucy.

Winn stuffed his face with the mashed potato as Alex glared at him.

“It’s a precaution.”

“All the more reason for us to stay,” Lucy said with a big grin on her face.

“You just want to watch on the big screen,” Alex shook her head. “What did John say?”

Both women shrugged. Winn was safe from the man since he was from a different department. 

“We just told him we were gonna do lady stuff and didn’t question it.”

“Oh god,” the redhead groaned, knowing John he probably thought too much of it. He was like a father to them and sometimes he acted too much like one too. “Fine but if he questions it, I have no part of it.”

“Relax, he was pretty enthusiastic to sign it.” 

“I think it’s because of your way of saying things,” Alex muttered.

“Well, most of the rooms left are on this floor and I think one more downstairs. Cedric will show them to you and you can pick whichever one you will be staying in tonight. As for all this talk of what happened, perhaps we can discuss everything later in a more secure place.”

* * *

They soon found themselves taking an elevator down to Lena's underground laboratory, as much as she was confident of her mansion's security, her underground lab was secure from all sight and sounds. There was a contrast between the gray, dark walls to the pristinely whiote lab tables and equipment. The size of the laboratory did not take up the same amount of space as the whole area. Lena had made it to have only what she deemed were the basics she needed for scientific researches. The bigger experiments she conducted in L-Corp which had much safer and secure measures and protocols.

"So how are we going to get back at these people?" Lucy asked with crossed arms, she was all jokes earlier, with lots of cussing even with Lena and Alex's glares the brunette's mouth couldn't be controlled.

"We're not getting back at them," said Alex. Her, Lucy and Vasquez were all standing in front of the lab table, the papers were arranged perfectly in front of them. Kara was with them, sitting on the stool beside the table, munching on some Combos. Lena, Lexie and Winn were geeking out over Lena's various projects. The redhead's eyes glanced over them every now and then.

"Ow!" She got a smack on the arm from Vasquez. "What was that?"

"I don't know if you want to do the science or the scientist."

"Vasquez!" Alex's voice rose in a high-pitch. "What - How -" she turned to face Lucy, "What have you done to her?"

"I am innocent here and just as surprised as you are."

Vasquez sighed, "Listen mini boss, even I can't stop from seeing all the hearts surrounding you. It’s odd but a good kind.”

“Sorry...it’s just..”

“She’s your hot ex-baby momma and you can’t help all that lesbian feelings,” Lucy shrugged.

“Jeez, way to put it,” Alex rolled her eyes but kept a smile on her face, she understood that was just how Lucy was. For someone that came from the military and the kind of discipline her father had she was quite the character. “And I’m not..” she stopped herself when all three women around her raised an eyebrow. “Okay, look, we're figuring things out. We just put aside our past and our main priority is Lexie. We don't need to complicate anything with a relationship.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” said Lucy. 

“But it is, can we just get back at this.” She went back to reading the papers, showing she did not want to talk about it anymore. 

“Alex, Alex, come look at this,” Lexie pushed through the adults and grabbed the redhead’s hand, pulling her to where Lena and Winn were looking over one of the many blueprints covering the table. “Not that,” Lexie whined, “this.” The little one pointed at a 3D printed arm of an animal. 

“Oh, is this that project you showed me yesterday?”

“Yes,” Lexie grinned widely, “it’s a 3D print, mommy says it can help us vis - visualize better how it will all work.”

“Yeah, this looks really cool.” Alex studied the object, it took the shape of the upper arm of a dog and at the top end were tubes and inside were the wires, the only ones that were real, they extended a few inches out . “Are these what will connect to the nerves?”

Lexie nodded, then got out the other parts. Paws, the lower leg, another copy of the upper leg and various wires. “They all look weird now, but it’s all trial and we have to figure out how to connect all the many wires to all the many nerves. Because there’s so many, many of them and we have to make sure they don’t say no to it.”

Alex held a fond smile as her daughter kept talking about the project. Lexie was amazingly smart yet still held an innocent personality. It was great for her to be so interested in her mother’s scientific studies but Alex was glad she also loved Disney princesses, singing and all the magic. She knew Lena had grown up in a strict household, with the fame of a Luthor being put on her face and Alex had grown up in a working environment. They have both experienced their parents being too busy with work to give thought on things that ordinary children grew up with. So Alex was glad that Lexie could experience a bit of normalcy and not be thrust into the world of adults so early.

“Holy shit,” Lucy muttered to Vasquez, “I knew Alex liked kids but this looks like a whole new level.”

Vasquez hummed in agreement, the big, scary Danvers everyone feared on their floor became a softie when it came to children.

“It’s her kid, what did you expect?” Kara asked.

“Why have we never learned about her?” Vasquez asked the blonde.

“Because,” Kara hesitated for a moment but then they would figure it out eventually, “she never knew about her either.”

“You know, I actually doubted her when she said she dated Lena Luthor,” Vasquez said, going back over the papers.

“Really?” Lucy raised a brow, “”Cause I thought I told you it was real.”

“Hmm..it just seemed kind of weird but I guess I see it now.”

“They work well together,” Kara started, “it was quite a bit odd at first their personalities seemed to butt at each other but when they got together they would mellow out those extreme parts of themselves.”

“Let’s just hope “drama-gagement” doesn’t happen again.”

“You’ve been watching youtube dramas again.”

Lucy shrugged, “Maybe.”

* * *

Once Lena had convinced Lexie to go to bed, with Stuffie and the 3D printed paw beside her, the adults went back to working on their case.

“I cannot believe you convinced her to sleep with that paw.”

Alex chuckled, “It would help me solve assignments when I was a kid.”

“Sleeping with your homework?” She raised a brow but Alex just shrugged. 

“So this Mercy Graves,” Lucy held the sheet of paper that contained Mercy’s information, "was part of LuthorCorp’s security team.”

“The head of security,” said Lena, taking a seat next to Kara. “She’s trained in hand to hand combat and of course, shooting people in the face.”

“And she’s targeting you because…”

“Because of a lot of things. It could be money or something in R&D.”

“R&D?” Vasquez asked.

“Research and development, L-Corp used to supply military weapons and artillery. After Lex was thrown in jail we started focusing our research on medicine and technology for livelihood. Are you saying she wants something in there?”

“It’s an option.”

“Even so if she wanted something in R&D,” Alex cut in, “what will she do with it?”

“Use it to join Lex in jail?” Lucy showed them the front of the paper, “She was his ex?”

The CEO nodded, “They grew close together but she got mad and tired with how Lex was always busy with his campaigns.”

“But wouldn’t having her at his side help more with his image?” Winn asked.

“Lex never needed anybody.”

Silence fell heavy over them, Lena’s face was stoic but her voice carried all her emotions. Everyone in the room knew what he did, bomb a whole neighborhood just to kill a person that wrote about his true colors. But they didn’t know the brother that secretly got her sweets after dinner, the brother who protected her from their drunk father, the brother who went to all her school contests and the brother who helped her meet someone dear to her. It completely wrecked her when his true colours showed and then she started feeling like a fool because she realized there were these small things about him and his actions that showed he had always been that bad man everyone else knew but she, who was closest to him, was blind to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment!


	16. Happy and Soft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things happen. Good things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have not been able to update this as I have been trying (keyword: trying) to find a job. it hard. lol.  
> Anyways, I just wanted this chapter to be a lot of little cute things that everyone could bond and somehow establish forms of friendships. There's a lot in this chapter.

“Winn,” Lena turned to the IT man, “I’ll help you set up your laptop.”

“Oh, yeah sure.” He quickly turned to follow her to the other side of the lab where two computers were set up. The two busied themselves with connecting various wires to connect Winn’s laptop with her two computers and use them for his applications.

“It’s a bit hefty of a laptop but it gets work done!” He said proudly once they were done. 

The image of Star Wars characters on the screen greeted the CEO. “A man of taste,” Lena smiled.

“Thank you madam,” he jokingly bowed his heading. “With this beauty and those big machines of yours,” he started clicking various apps and typing out codes, “we can get a bigger map and quicker update on any message that may come from that number again.”

“So we just wait and see?”

“Pretty much,” Winn said looking at one of the screens portraying the map of the Chinatown in Metropolis. The other part was showing a wider area of Metropolis.

“Well, it’s better than actually doing nothing and just waiting for the next assassination in my office.”

Winn opened his mouth for a moment, unsure on how to tackle that littler elevation. He then closed it again. _”Maybe this is why her and Alex got together, a little dark humor.”_ Then opened his mouth again only to say, “Wow.” He really doesn’t know what else to say to that kind of life, wherein you just waited for the next person to try and kill you.

Lena just shrugged, she didn’t mean to be so direct but she was used to these attacks. Except this time, things were completely different. There were people around her helping them find out the root of this.

“Well,” Winn blurted out, “it seems that’s been kinda successful?...” he finished unsurely.

Lena chuckled a bit. “It has but,” she hesitated, with an almost shy smile on her face, “knowing some people are here to help is a better feeling.” They were here to protect her and her daughter. It was quite overwhelmingly different and she truly felt safe and dare she say it, loved. Even if this moment was stress inducing and quite dangerous for everyone.

“Yeah, the Danvers sisters are like that, huh, they protect the people they care about and then somehow they also got an army of people to back them up.”

“Are you one of the members of their army?” She asked, jokingly, a brow raised.

“Huh, I guess I am,” his chest puffed up with this realization. “This is like, extreme, for a first meeting and all but I am a huge fan of your works,” Winn said, slowly letting his inner fanboy out. “Your works on so many fields are incredible, even if they seem to be about simple techs in farming and livelihood they're all amazing! The AI intelligence is just,” his thumbs and ring fingers from both hands formed a circle, “perfect.”

“Thank you," Lena said, keeping the blush at bay, there have been many stories and articles about how L-Corp's technologies are astounding but there were always these negative ideas surrounding them or a big but at the end of it all, people still questioned the company which she understood but it did not mean she didn't feel disappointed over it. Now, hearing someone genuinely say their techs are amazing was filling up her heart with happiness. “It’s still rather far from what we plan for it to achieve but it’s been doing good.”

“You’re being too humble,” Winn said, straight off. “It’s already achieved a lot. Your AI’s literally help in the hospital rooms, assessing the services that are needed, flawlessly.”

Lena’s right brow raised.

“I ended up in the Luthor hospital because of a bit of ...an accident.”

Her brow didn’t lower at all with that information.

“He ended up hitting himself with the cue ball because of all the algorithms he tried to do in billiards.”

“Oh god!” Winn exclaimed, putting a hand on his heart. “Don’t do that.”

“What?” Alex was trying not to let her smile slip through.

“That agent sneaking thing. Sheesh.”

“Well, I’m no better at billiards either or any sport.”

“You did fencing though,” said Alex.

“Ohh...fancy sport.”

Alex hummed in agreement but Lena just rolled her eyes. “I just needed something to get Lillian off my back for not learning to play the piano.”

“Well, it made you pretty agile so you have that to thank her for,” the redhead grinned, there were small things to thank Lillian for and they weren’t from positive origins at most.

“Let hell freeze over first,” Lena smirked, knowing it was something that Alex often said back then in college whenever Lillian was involved in plans or topics Alex would always say that.

Winn awkwardly shrinked back on the stool, as the two bantered(?). He saw Vasquez and Kara holding in their laughs, Lucy just barely being able to suppress herself from slamming the table. She had an evil grin on her face and he was happy to be involved on the planning team rather than the target team.

"Is there any way this can notify us on our phones or something?" Alex asked, their conversations seemed to finally be done. Not that Winn would ever dare to cut in between those two.

Alex’s eyes went back on the screen. A map of the big city of Metropolis in nothing but linear blue color, the occasional static the only thing disturbing it. 

"Unfortunately, no," Winn answered, "I mean we’re lucky I kind of memorized the codes and made a copy of the tracking tech in the office because I never thought I'd be using this outside of the office."

"I'll take duty tonight." She took a seat on the other stool. "The rest of you should go get sleep. I don't know if we'll get anything but if this is all for naught then I shouldn't be dragging any of you into this." She gave a pointed look at her teammates and Winn who she knows could all be in very big trouble. This could lead to a dead end tonight and they'll just have to anticipate whatever these "wannabe" assassin's think up next.

"I'll stay with you." Lena's voice gave no space for argument.

"Lena, you don't need to. I have experience in waiting long hours."

The CEO tilted her head slightly, arms crossed at her chest. "And what do you think I do, sit in my office chair and look pretty? I'm staying because you might have experience with keeping watch, I know how to work with these computers."

"Shheeee has got a point," Winn said, a bit hesitant but Alex didn't fight it, she did not know how to work the thing.

She sighed, "Okay."

The rest of the group were herded back into the elevator. Lena accompanied them, she was still a host and wanted to make sure everyone settled well. Lucy and Vasquez shared a room as they said, so Winn got the other guest room all to himself. 

“Can you make sure Alex doesn’t touch the laptop?” He asked Lena.

“I’m sure Alex will let me do the typing of codes.”

“Yea but I’m more scared of what they will trigger.” He said slowly, pointing imaginarily to where the culprits could be located. Lena got what the man was trying to say.

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t punch it in anger.”

“Thank you.”

Kara had wanted to stay with her sister but Alex insisted that she get sleep in an actual bed and be the non-sleepy head that greets Eliza tomorrow.

“You should get some sleep,” said Alex, it was nearing midnight, no signal had come in, no red alert whatsoever. Everything was quiet except for Lena's typing.

The CEO sighed and stopped. She removed her eyeglasses that Alex had insisted she wore. Alex had seen her wear them back in college but she was a bit nervous, that was years ago, glasses were a sign of weakness, an imperfection as Lillian had said.

 _"The radiation would like to differ,"_ the redhead had said.

And so Lena had worn them and her eyes had a bit of reprieve. She hadn't realized time had gone by so fast, four hours to be exact. "Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?"

"I'm an agent and I'm quite sure no one would be able to enter this place. Go on, I'll wake you if anything appears."

* * *

The bed she had put in the laboratory was a single bed, luckily for the ravenette her daughter was still small so she had fit herself snuggly beside Lexie. When she awoke, there were cramps around her shoulder and hips. Noises outside were slowly bringing her back to the land of reality. When she got out of the small room, Alex was still across the screen, a cup of coffee in between her hands. The other people were the ones who disturbed her sleep.

_"At least Cedric thought of putting up the foldable tables."_

"Hey, good morning."

"Good morning," her voice was still raspy from sleep. She took the offered bottle of water and the hug from her daughter and niece, Ruby hugged her tighter and longer. “Where’s your mom?” she asked Ruby.

“Upstairs with Cedric.”

"What time is it?"

"Just past 8, princess," Lucy answered, a cup of coffee in her hand.

“I’ve never slept this long,” she muttered under her breath. “Did anything show?” she directed her question at Alex.

“No, nothing. They could have thrown it after that last message was sent but we’ll keep this up and running, Winn will let me - "

“Ahem.”

“Will let _you_ borrow it until the end of this week.”

“Thank you, Winn.”

“No problemo.”

Since the adults and the kids had already dug in for their breakfast Lena left them to meet up Sam upstairs.

* * *

Lena, with her hair tidied up the best it could, met Sam in the kitchen. The tall brunette stood by the kitchen island, coffee at the ready. She handed Lena a cup and watched as her friend took a long drink even with its hot temperature.

She told Sam of everything that happened in Midvale up to now of what they were doing. After a minute of absorbing it all in Sam just replied, "Whoa."

"My life is already chaotic," with both hands she started massaging the sides of her temple, "this is ramping it up to a second level."

"Hey," Sam reached over and clasped Lena's hand in hers, "whatever mess happens, we're here for you. Always."

Lena thanked her as she held on tightly to her friend.

Almost like a bunch of little kids, Alex and her group with Ruby and Lexie were running and yelling into the kitchen.

"Oh. Sorry." Lucy halted when she got a foot inside the kitchen. The kids, on the other hand, ran to their respective mother's.

"Mom! It was so funny, we started following this person with the cameras in the grocery store, Winn tapped the mics and he got so confused from where the sounds were coming from.” Ruby was laughing as she told the story, Lucy walked over and got a high five from the thirteen year old.

“Interesting,” Sam said, both brows raised as she appraised Lucy.

“What happened to the tracking?” asked Lena.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s going to be anything and I didn’t want to waste these guy's day off.” She gestured to the three FBI agents around her. “Kara can stay watch.”

“But.” The famous blonde’s pout made an appearance. Lena shook her head in slight amusement. Alex still had that knack of bullying her little sister.

“You’re right, you shouldn’t be wasting time on this - “

“It kinda falls under our job description though,” Vasquez said. “An assassin is quite concerning.”

“I know but Alex is right and this place might not be a five star hotel but there’s a basketball court on the other side and a pool just out here. Also, you can watch that movie you want so badly,” she said that statement more to Lucy.

“I’ll keep an eye on the radar,” said Alex.

“No, this is your time off, too,” said Lena, “you should spend time with your team.”

Before another back and forth could continue, Cedric spoke up, “Lena, I shall keep tabs on the screens and will alert you immediately if anything comes up.” Without waiting for Lena’s reply Cedric exited the kitchen and made his way to the elevator.

“Right! I’ll get the shots!” Lucy exclaimed.

“Can I try?”

“No you will not,” Sam put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, stopping her daughter from following Lucy.

“Seriously, Luce? It’s morning,” Kara was the one to follow the wild agent.

“I’m fine with juice,” Winn said, taking a seat at the kitchen island, Vasquez copied him as the chaos around them ensued. Lucy was opening every cabinet, Kara carefully closed each one she opened.

“Come on Luthor where’s the good stuff?” She frowned not seeing anything in the last cabinet except cookies that Kara promptly took.

“There’s a bar in the living room.”

“Those were all fancy-smanchy ones, the good stuff.”

“But these cookies are the best stuff,” Lexie happily ate the sugary treat given to her by her Aunt Kara.

“I swear to God,” Alex groaned in annoyance and how easily her friends went into vacation mode. “I’m really sorry,” she looked at Lena, who to her surprise, was holding back a laugh. 

Once she got herself together, Lena pressed a button and spoke, “Antonio, could you serve up some mimosa’s before our guests ruin your kitchen.”

“Gladly, Ms. Luthor.”

* * *

“Okay this is scarier than any horror movie I would have picked,” Lucy had her legs tucked to her body, a pillow in front of her.

“This is quite disturbing,” Vasquez said, her brows meeting closer and closer together as the movie continued.

“This is supposed to be a kids movie?” Winn asked incredulously as the weird spider woman, not the good kind, swallowed the key.

“Told you you can’t take it,” Ruby said and high-fived Lexie.

Once the movie ended, all the adults except for Sam and Lena, who have watched the film before with the kid, remained seated, staring at the end credits. The oddity and creepiness of the movie still lingered.

“Any one of you play pool?” Sam asked, now stood beside the pool table.

Winn shook his head vehemently.

* * *

After Lucy and Vasquez won two of the three rounds they played against Sam and Alex. And it was all totally Sam’s fault, apparently winning games against two people that don’t know how to really play the game didn’t make her the best. They were all back to playing video games, the kids joining the ones playing on the floor.

“We’re sleeping with the lights on later,” Lucy whispered to Vasquez, both were sitting on the big bean couch, the former was playing a simple harvesting game with Alex. They didn’t want to be cussing each other out in front of the kids because of Mario Kart.

Lexie, sat on Alex’s lap, giggled at hearing one of the adults get scared. She didn’t find it scary at all, but she hated the other-mother, she could never replace her real mother, also, buttons for eyes?! That would hurt!

“Don’t be laughing your head off, young lady,” Sam raised an eyebrow at Ruby who was also laughing at the adult’s situations. “I’m betting you’ll be turning on your night light.”

“Mom!!” Ruby groaned loudly, a blush adorning her cheeks. “Not cool.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t blame the kid.”

“Did you like it Alex?”

“Ummm...yeeaaah,” she said brows scrunched.

“Lying is bad,” Lexie said, still looking at her other mother. “You don’t have to like it, we can watch ‘nother one.”

“I think that’s enough creepy horror for today, darling,” Lena said from her seat on the couch. She was talking with Winn on creating a magnet-like device that could disarm small pistols from criminals.

“Are you okay?” Sam was sitting next to Kara. The blonde was holding the refilled bowl of popcorn. 

“Uh...yeah. I think I’m going to be one of the people who will have nightmares tonight.”

Sam chuckled, “I’ll give you a tip, make sure the blanket is secure and surround yourself with pillows.”

“Is that how you survived the first time you watch it?” Kara smiled.

“Yes but the four of us also slept together in the same bed.”

Their laugh garnered the attention of the two on the bean couch and a big eyebrow rise from Lucy.

“Please don’t,” Vasquez whispered as she took the control from Lucy's hands.

But the smaller brunette didn't listen and walked over to them casually. "Hey, I’m Lucy Lane. Sorry about earlier, with the shots thing.”

Sam accepted the handshake, “Sam Arias, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

‘Really?" Lucy exaggeratedly asked. "What good things have Kara been saying?” She confidently asked.

Kara kept a smile on her face but she muttered a warning of the brunette’s name.

“Well, apparently you were her gay awakening.”

Lucy barked out a laugh while Kara hid her face behind her hands, blushing red as a tomato.

“Oh yeah, that was something.” She wiped an imaginary tear away. “That was quite the adventure of panic but Alex and I, being good sisters, helped her through it.”

“So you two...” Sam left out the sentence, already leaving an idea of what she was asking.

“Ha!” Alex exclaimed, “Now that would have been something.” She turned her head to look at Lucy and Kara, the former folded over from too much laughter.

“Stop it Lucy.” Kara literally pushed the laughing brunette off the couch but was unaffected and kept laughing.

“You three have been friends for a long time?” Sam asked, trying to get the topic to change, Kara was still blushing red and she didn’t mean to embarrass her or anything. It was the one thing she remembered when Kara told her about Lucy Lane.

“Kind of,” Kara adjusted her glasses, “Lucy and I got to know each other because Clark dated her sister. We sometimes got together to eat out for lunch and whatnot. Alex would sometimes tag along.”

“M-hm..being her fifth wheel self.”

“Am I gay mommy?” Lexie asked innocently.

Lucy ended up being a laughing ball again, this time the rest of the adults were joining in.

“Well,” Lena started, a smile on her face. “Why do you think you’re gay, baby girl?”

“Because everybody here is gay, you, Alex, Aunt Kara and Aunt Sam and everyone!”

“I’m bi,” Winn pointed out.

“Same,” Lucy said, finally gathering herself.

“Being gay means you are attracted to the person with the same gender,” Alex said softly, letting Lexie lean back against her leg to look at her. “So it's men who love men, women who love women. The more specific term for women who love women is lesbian.”

“Lesbean.”

Alex chuckled, “That’s what your Aunt Sam and Aunt Kara identifies as. It’s also what I identify with. Your mommy identifies as bisexual. Bi or bisexual are people who are attracted to both genders, they like both men and women.”

“Like how I like chocolate and vanilla.”

“Yeah, simple as that,” Alex agreed.

“Well then what am I?”

“You are whoever you choose to be, you don’t have to figure it all out yet but whoever you decide to be or whatever you decide to do in the future we will support you, no matter what.”

“I ditto with that,” Lena had gotten nearer to them and softly tapped Lexie on her nose. “We love you, no matter what.”

“No matter what,” Lexie mimicked her mother, a big smile on her face.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Mr. Dox," John stepped in front of the group of scientists, their talks lowered to a murmur.

"John," Querl Dox let his group go on without him as he let John lead their way to the cafeteria. “What seems to be the trouble?"

"No trouble, it's just the girls are all on days off and the boys are on paper duties. I thought perhaps you would like to join lunch with Winn and I."

Brainy opened his mouth then closed it again, mimicking a fish out of water.

John raised a brow, "Is something wrong?"

"Um.. Winn is not here today."

"Really? I didn't see the message," he pulled up his phone and unlocked it, "I know I'm an old timer with these things," he joked.

"I think it was an emergency kind."

He paused with furrowed brows, "What emergency?"

"Personal."

“You need to work better on your body language when you lie,” he said.

Brainy gulped.

“In any case, I’ll just ask him when he comes back.”

* * *

“Do you have to go, Aunt Sam?” Lexie’s lower lip jutted out.

“Oh my little cupcake,” Sam kneeled to hug her niece, “that is a deathly pout and I know Ruby put you up to this but she has school tomorrow and Aunt Sam needs to get back to work.” 

“Okay,” Lexie relented. “Sorry, Ruby.”

Sam gave her daughter a look but all she said was, “It was worth a shot.” 

“It was,” Lena moved in and hugged her friend. “Don’t overwork yourself.”

Sam scoffed but hugged her back tightly. “Keep me updated,” she whispered. They were all good in keeping the problem on the down low, even if the kids knew about it. It was better to keep them out of it. As much as everyone was enjoying these impromptu vacations there was a real threat just lurking in the corner.

With a final kiss on the little one’s cheek and a big goodbye to the group Sam and Ruby left the chaos of people to themselves.

* * *

“She shoots, she scores!” Alex raised her arms in the air in triumph while her supporters cheered from the side.

Lena had built an automatic rooftop for the basketball court. None of them, her, Sam and especially not Andrea had ever played basketball on it. But the kids would get themselves bored with their phones and video games so they would sometimes play. The walls would retract down into the ground. Most of the rooftop extended from the far wall. The walls that stood from the back of each of the basketball rings held ⅛ part of the roof and they stood as the locks to keep it secure. Since Lena was not one to pass on practicality, the roof also acted as solar powers for the lights around the yard.

"And the crowd goes wild!" Alex cupped her hands around her mouth and mimicked the sound of a crowd in a stadium.

"Okay, we got it Ms. Athletics.”

**_Whistle_ **

Everyone looked over to the side where Lena, Lexie and Vasquez were sitting under the shade of an umbrella. Lena was sitting next to Lexie, who was in her own smaller chair with a whiteboard on her lap. There was a line on the center, on each side was a name of the player and tally marks beside them.

"Alex Danvers," Lexie giggled, "scored 14 points with 3 assists. Winn Schott, Jr. scored 6 points with 7 assists."

"And for the losing team," Vasquez grinned, "Lane you scored 5 points with 5 assists. Kara scored 11 points with 3 assists."

"And the winner is…"

Vasquez made a drum roll sound on the table.

"Agent Tech! Yaaay!!" Lexie cheered.

"Way to show who you're a fan of kid," Vasquez chuckled at the little girl's enthusiasm. She was like Alex's personal cheerleader earlier during the game, too.

“I can’t believe we already handicapped you and we still lost!” Lucy was sitting on the floor. Her teammate for the game, Kara, stood beside her bent over. Vasquez had opted to sit the game out as she had no clue about basketball.

“I know you mean me!” Winn shouted from his lying position on the ground.

“Winn's a terrible shooter but he's a good passer."

“You knew that!" Lucy shouted accusingly.

Alex just shrugged with a big smirk on her face. "All I know is you're paying for our next lunch out, Lane."

"I want Noonan's!" Lexie grinned.

"Whoa, I only made the bet with your Mom...other mom."

"But," Lexie's shoulders dropped. Her little brown eyes watered and bottom lip upturned in a pout.

"No. Don't do that!" 

But Alex's little mini-me pouted even harder.

"Fine!"

"And mommy?"

"Your mommy's rich - alright, alright. Enough with the Disney eyes and pouty face."

With lunch guaranteed, the fake tears faded and her lips widened in a smile, she gave a nod to Lucy and walked over to Alex, "I want to shoot now."

Kara and Vasquez were doubled over laughing at how the little girl got Lucy. Winn raised his hand in a high five that Lexie didn’t have to jump to reach as he still laid on the floor.

"That pout was like an eight Kara-pout out of ten. You sure it's not the Blondie's?"

Lena rolled her eyes, "Quite. Besides," she continued, "where do you think Kara learned that pout?"

Lucy plopped down on the chair beside Vasquez. The three of them just sat in the shade and watched Alex, Lexie, Winn and Kara play more basketball. Alex would carry Lexie in her arms and help her shoot near the basket. After every shot the little one would put her arms around Alex's neck and the redhead would put her arms around Lexie protectively.

"You know she was about to adopt a kid next year."

"What?" Lena's head whipped so fast, she's surprised she didn't get an instant headache.

“Yep,” Lucy popped off the “p.”

“Well?”

“Well, what?” Lucy sipped from the straw and steadily held eye contact with Lena.

“You are as infuriating as your sister.” Lena sat back against the chair, her legs and arms crossing at the same time.

“I am much more,” Lucy said, “and you’re quite easy to aggravate not like your brother,” Lucy held a smirk on her face, Lena still didn’t face her, “Or is it just because it’s Alex?” She chuckled and added, “I mean those lips are hella delicious.”

Lena’s head tilted lightly, the side of her lip upturned into an evil little smirk, she turned to Lucy, a glint in her green eyes, “I’ve tasted parts, far better.” She whipped her hair back, stood from her seat and sauntered over to the mother and daughter duo. Leaving an open mouth Lucy and an amused Vasquez, who could only shake her head as her girlfriend lost this round with Lena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for readin this ultimate mess chapter by this messy author.  
> There was a lot in this chapter huh, brotp of Lena and Winn, Brainy needs to learn to lie, lesbean, Kara and Sam (maybe?) Lucy losing, and that spicy ending. Oof.  
> Thanks for the reads everyone! I hope it's been good and please leave a review, good bad or bad good. I'll take them.


	17. Stories from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza arrives but not much happens. Still. But we got some stories from Lena and Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's been long, I'm trying to get myself together and by that I mean a better schedule for myself. lol.  
> I got a part time job! Yey.
> 
> Enjoy the reads!

“Granma!” 

Eliza eagerly accepted Lexie’s hug. “Oh my granddaughter.”

“Was the ride alright?” Lena asked, taking one of her bags and passing it to Cedric. "The bodyguards didn't cause any trouble?"

“Everything was wonderful dear, now please, let me hug you.” She opened her arms and squeezed the young woman, feeling Lena melt into her. “Where are the others?”

The others were causing chaos in the living room. They turned the place into a big playground of “the floor is lava” for Lexie. 

“I’m telling you it’s a safe spot.”

“That thing could literally be eaten by lava!” Lucy exclaimed.

“I thought the game was done?” Vasquez sat on the couch they had just finished returning to its original place.

“It’s called the floor is lava. There's no rule that it turns everything else into lava,” said Alex.

After that debate they finally put their attention to their new guest. Eliza was a very doting mother to all of them, asking them updates on their lives and jobs. With how very little they ever got this much love and attention from a mother figure, the three agents were happy to have Eliza doting on them.

Another loud and noisy dinner occurred for the night, Lucy and Alex, constantly bickering while Vasquez and Kara were their respective sidekicks. Eliza and Winn acted as the middle ground while Lena would be the tie breaker if needed.

And little Lexie, well she had never enjoyed dinner for such a long time. She felt safe and loved, her mommy and her other aunts always made her feel that way, but sometimes it seemed her Aunt Andrea gave her gifts because she had to, Aunt Sam and Ruby were always fun but they were the only people Lexie have known since she was, basically, a baby. So it was fun to have new people around her that were as fun as her Aunt Sam and as loving as her mommy.

* * *

"So nothing?"

The adults were back on the case.

Eliza had stayed with Lexie to keep the little girl company and distracted from the adults. Vasquez and Kara stayed with them to keep both girls safe. Winn had gone home after dinner since he had to get back to work tomorrow, he made sure to remind everyone that he only trusted Lena with his laptop.

Alex shook her head in negative. Lucy and Vas were leaving tonight as well. Lexie was sad to see all the people go one by one but with a promise of seeing each other again soon she had a big smile on her face for the rest of the night.

They still had two days free but Alex didn't want them to spend it staring at a blue screen, waiting for probably nothing. So they had helped them with their bags and bid their goodbyes to the two and it was only the family left in the modern Luthor mansion.

"Can mom's drink on the job?" asked Alex, as they stared at the red lights of the departing car.

"How do you think mother's survive?" Lena smirked.

The two found themselves in the living room bar at 10:00. A Sauvignon Blanc, which had Alex’s eyebrows raising, and two wine glasses on the bar top. 

“It’s low enough we don’t actually get drunk but not too low that it’s so sweet,” Lena explained, she was in her comfy, cream sweater and dark blue jeans. This has been the most days she has worn ordinary clothes. Alex was in a blue and white checkered polo and tight black jeans. She sat next to Lena, taking the first sip of the night.

"So is this the behind the scenes of being a mom?"

"Kind of," said Lena, taking a sip of the wine and letting it mixture of flavours settle in her mouth, "I think there's also falling asleep on the couch."

They conversed more about the situation they were in, what they would do once they caught them.

"We can't exactly drop everything and fly to Metropolis," Lena said.

"We'll just take it as a sign that they're on the move again."

"And if nothing?"

"Then I will personally contact Jess to add more security around you."

Lena smiled and shook her head, "Trust me she's probably on it."

The conversation went on to more lighter topics, about Jess, Lena's current work and Lexie's fascination with science.

"I don’t think I expected any less, science seems to be in her blood." Lena's hair was completely loose around her. The bottle was a third away from being empty. 

Alex had her polo sleeves curled up to her elbows, leaned sideways on the counter to face the ravenette properly. “I’m glad it became more of a natural love for her.”

“Yes, the first time I was quite hesitant, I thought that I might have been feeding her interest and that I might have been forcing her into learning about it but she just truly loves science.”

The agent understood Lena’s fears, of becoming like her mother, Lillian, pushing her own daughter into things she didn’t want to do. It was a good thing that Lena ended up loving science as well. Lex was a big part of the reason for her falling in love with science, it was still quite hard to split that good Lex to the bad Lex they now knew.

"So,” Lena had this curious look on her face but she refused to make eye contact with Alex, “Lucy told me something interesting," she said remembering the topic previously.

"Oh no,” Alex poured herself more of the wine. “What was it?" She asked with a scared look.

"It was nothing bad, she said you wanted to adopt a child next year."

Alex's eyes widened, "Oh."

"I'm sorry, the wine is taking my curiosity to another level and my mouth is getting loose."

"No, no...it's okay.” Alex took a gulp of the wine. “But yeah, um... it's true. Obviously this changes everything."

"Why?"

Alex raised her brow and Lena rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

Alex took a moment. She twirled the wine in the glass, watching it swirl around like a red coloured whirlpool, rapidly draining her into this situation, but she was gladly letting it take her, to let her open up the past. "You already know that I've always wanted a kid. It was because of a lot of events that I ended up deciding to adopt a child."

"We got a lot of time and a lot of this," Lena grabbed the second bottle and poured herself some more wine.

"Well," the redhead started, "the first event was my first big case. We were busting down these illegal underground acts. Like this wasn't just some people fighting with fists, it was awful. There weren't just illegal fights they were also selling people." Her voice cracked at remembering all those wan faces and dead eyes. She took in a deep breath, "Actual human beings being sold like toys." 

"Alex…" she took the other one's hand in hers and gripped it tightly, she didn't think it would be a reminder of such an awful experience.

Exhale. "I got stabbed on the leg, not even by the goons running the place, it was by a victim. In those hours we spent waiting and then moving in to take hold of the place and then moving out everyone, I felt like a robot, moving on full auto."

"Nobody would blame you Alex, you needed to do your job first and deal with the emotions later. That's how it is in your line."

She nodded minutely, still lost in her thoughts, "But when she stabbed me, it felt like waking up and it was so surreal how it just seemed like I had no idea where I was and I couldn’t believe where I was. A wretched jail with the stench of piss and sweat mixed. In front of me was a young woman, she had this feral look but I could also see the anguish and fear in her eyes. She tried to tackle me but they immediately got hold of her. Then everything was back to a blur of mess. I was in the hospital getting treated. I'm here and alive but I don't know what happened to her." She paused, then looked at Lena, "It was an odd wake up call. After two years of just focusing on my feet and not messing up any step, I just realized where exactly I landed myself."

Lena kept quiet the whole time she talked, the way she told the story was deep in her heart. Her thumb, stroking comforting circles on Alex's hand was her way of showing she was listening.

"But I’m fucking stubborn so even when I felt my hands shaking and my legs wobbling I continued working there. It’s completely different but there is something exhilarating and seeing justice done with your own eyes is… it’s something.”

“And it doesn’t have to do with you being able to use physical force?” Lena raised an eyebrow, wanting to make it a bit lighter.

“Anyway,” Alex said, moving on and Lena, with a small smile and shake of her head let her change the topic, “the second event was a continuation of that, it's where I met my ex-fiance she asked me the basic questions of what happened and how it happened, blah. You know she was really annoying."

Alex said it not with hate but rather with a smile and affection and Lena found herself being somewhat okay with it. It's not like she could do anything about what happened in the four years they were separated. They were bound to meet others like how she met Jack but she was glad she didn't have any ill lingering feelings to the thought of Alex meeting someone else. Instead she was glad that they brought happiness to the redhead.

"I think big events always make me do something prompt. After we've been dating for four months, she got shot."

"Oh my god."

"She was okay after but I realized that in our line of work there could be no tomorrow. A week after the incident I proposed to her and we ended up in that cliche where she was also going to propose to me at that moment."

"Really? I'm starting to think you live in a fantasy."

"I wish,” Alex chuckled. “Then maybe I'd have my perfect ending because as you already know we did not end well."

Lena squeezed Alex's hand. "So, adoption?"

Alex lifted both her shoulders in a shrug, "All of those situations were me just going forward, doing whatever task was given and doing what other people thought I should be doing, like dating and having -” She stopped herself from continuing to speak about her phase of jumping from one bed to another. With different women. “I was tired,” she said instead, “tired of paddling whenever people told me to, tired of the waves taking me wherever it wants. I wanted to start riding the waves again and take control of my life. Having a kid is something that has always been my dream and nobody else's. So I decided that next year I was going to adopt a baby. They offered me a position in the science department and I thought that would be a good start."

Lena took a moment. It seemed they both had so many things happen to them. Alex being in an assault team in the FBI seemed so odd at first but she didn't think Alex went into this completely blind. She was such a brave and protective person, going into this she probably thought she was going to be a knight in shining armor and shut herself off once she realized the true horror of what they did. “I wish you didn’t have to see those atrocities but I’m really proud of everything you’ve accomplished Alex. Helping all those people, arresting the awful ones behind it all. You’ve always been kind of an achiever huh?”

Alex smiled, letting their hands get tangle together, “Kind of.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’ve decided to do something for yourself.”

“Thank you,” said Alex, “it means a lot.”

"Did Kara know about this?"

Alex shook her head, finally taking in the glass again and tasting that sweet wine. "No, it was supposed to be a surprise."

"Are you still going to take the offer?"

"Yeah, I think so. It's not any less hectic but I'd be able to spend more time with Lexie. And you?"

Lena cocked her head to the side.

"I just told you two major events of my life, this can't be a one sided story."

She chuckled, "Well, I had a baby."

"Couldn't tell from how you look," the words slipped out easily. Was it her stupid brain or the stupid alcohol.

"It took me months to get rid of the baby weight."

"You still looked beautiful." Lena blushed. "You're always beautiful," Alex added softly. 

"Well," she straightened her back, even though she had a smirk on her face she was still blushing, "you look handsome Ms. Undercut."

"I was waiting when you'd comment on it," Alex fixed her hair around.

"You always did want this kind of haircut," Lena tapped gently on Alex's hands and fixed the redhead's hair, slicking back the loose strands. "It looks good on you." 

"Thanks." 

Lena's fingers tapped one last strand of hair and her eyes lingered lower to Alex's soft brown eyes, her breath hitched, seeing them staring into her own. 

"So your story," Alex said, looking unaffected but she was all that she learned in training to keep a stoic look.

"R - Right." _"Get it together, Luthor."_

"What happened with you and Jack Spheer?" She asked a bit hesitantly. She’s going to blame this on the alcohol, yep, that’s it. Because she was curious but it was kinda stupid to ask about it so directly.

"Oh." 

She mentally facepalmed. _"Way to go, Danvers."_

"It wasn't really a sad ending between us. We ended things amicably. He was a wonderful man, and he was most wonderful with Lexie."

"You were together for a year, though."

"Hm…" Lena's lips found themselves on the rim of the glass again. "Yes, it was a good relationship. I think he truly loved me but I," she hesitated, "I couldn’t.”

"Why not?" Her voice was soft, seeing the CEO teary eyed.

"I think we were both absorbed in our work too much, we didn’t really have an “us” time. My other free time was spent with Lexie and when we were both free we spent it all together, mostly with Lillian.”

While Lena kept drinking, Alex had started to play with the rim of her glass. She kind of felt awful for being glad that she didn't fall for Jack Spheer. Now she completely understood that in four years a lot could happen but Alex had read almost everything about him (she was not being stalkerish, the magazine was right in her sight at the cashier.) She may or may not also had Winn check him on the FBI records but he was completely clean, business wise, he donated a lot of money and was like a fucking model. He was perfect. *"How do you compete with that?"*

"So, I broke things off with him. It was cliche, but I told him that he deserves someone better, he tried to fight for us but I just knew I couldn't love him as much as he loves me."

*  
_  
"It's her isn't it?" They were in the Spheer mansion, a business dealing that was hidden as a small gathering for some elite businessmen had just finished and so many of them had asked when they were going to get married. It had been too much for Lena so they talked and talked and talked well into the night. There weren’t any tears but there were a lot of feelings, mostly from Jack._

_"What are you talking about?" She frowned at him, they were now sharing the finest bottle of scotch._

_“You still have feelings for Danvers.”_

_Lena breathed in deep._

_“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to overstep.”_

_“But you already did,” she said with a deep exhale. “It’s fine. Lexie looks so much like her. It was so hard at first, seeing that brown hair and then those same coloured eyes. It was like she was haunting me -_

_“In the form of a baby,” Jack pointed out._

_Lena rolled her eyes. “We ended things awfully, I think it’s normal to feel like I need some closure.”_

_“You didn’t really end things though.”_

_“What do you mean?” Her brows scrunched, she had two glasses of the scotch and she was in no mood in doing one of his guessing games._

_“You didn’t say we’re off, you just made her choose but you didn’t explicitly say you were off if she chose herself._

_“That doesn’t make sense, so I didn’t say the words but it’s quite obvious what I meant.”_

_“You asked her to follow you,” Jack’s lips upturned as his shoulders shrugged, “maybe she got lost.”_

_“It’s the airport, there’s GPS, I could list down a lot of reasons why she wouldn’t get lost getting there,” she rolled her eyes. It was weird how Jack seemed to be defending _her.__

_“Life can be a tricky pathway, Lena.”_

_Lena took in a big gulp of her drink, keeping silent._

_“It’s all zigzag and wiggly and crisscross,” he exaggeratedly moved his hands, then took a sip from his glass. “Like us.”_

_She finally looked back at him. He was seated on the arm of the couch in his best Desmond Merrion, grey suit. The bright, soft glow from the moon was their only source of light for the night, Lena wished that her heart would skip a beat as he looked at him but it maintained that simple thump-thump beat._

_“We’re at that criss cross road now.” He wanted to keep their relationship going even if it meant Lena would never reciprocate his feelings._

_“Jack.” It was so unfair how he still loves her even after all this. He was amazing with Lexie, Sam liked him, hell even her mother liked him but she couldn’t do it, he truly had been magnificent with everything but she couldn’t keep him when he could find someone who will love him the same way he loved her._

_He still smiled that kind and caring smile. He leaned over Lena and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, Lena. Say hi to Lexie for me tomorrow, yeah?”_

_She didn’t understand what he meant at first, because Lexie was with Sam but later, when she finally opened her phone she saw the photos of Lexie that Sam had sent her and she was calling his driver to bring her home._

_*  
_

_”Criss-cross.”_ The words came back to her again, is this what life had paved for them, another criss cross.

“Is he really that perfect or..?”

Lena, honest to God, snorted, “Everybody always thinks that. But he's a pretty normal guy.” When Alex had a look of skepticism, she explained further, “So he’s a millionaire but like every other guy, he loves his beard, he loves to drink but unlike every guy he's a gentleman.”

“So he’s perfect.”

“He cries at sad movies.”

“Emotional, that’s a point for most girls. “

“I guess I just always saw him more as a best friend than a boyfriend," Lena shrugged.

“Friendzone!” Alex exclaimed, “That deducts a lot of points.”

Lena shook her head with a smile, they were merely on the side of tipsy but Alex was being ridiculous. With that ridiculous, red hair slicked back, bright brown eyes, confident smile and those wonderful neck muscles, Lena would say Alex had a million points over Jack. Perhaps her brain was more tired than she thought if she was thinking of Alex’s neck and those strong shoulders and - _”I need to get a hold of myself”_

“You okay?”

“Yes, I think I’m going to sleep now.”

“Oh! Oh yeah,” Alex stood up, “I’m sorry I should have realized the time.”

“It’s okay. This was...nice.”

“Yeah,” Alex smiled, “it was.”

* * *

The remaining days of Alex’s vacation were spent with her old and new family all together. Being restricted within the home, even if it was a mansion with all kinds of electronics and games a whole family being stuck inside will eventually have played and done everything. They played video games, watched movies, they went outside to play random sports and added their own mix to them, they even had a picnic, as per Eliza’s idea, out in the backyard.

So suffice to say they were getting bored and they never got any signal from Winn’s laptop.

That was where they were right now, in Lena’s lab. At first they were on a very serious mission led by Special Agent Lexie but then the little one got bored within five minutes and they ended up going over the projects her mommy and her were working on.

There were so many that caught the attention of Eliza and Alex, both mother’s going over one blueprint to the other. It was interesting to see, because as much as Alex had tried to steer herself away from her parents shadow and the haunting of an ex, Alex was most happy inside a laboratory, creating and researching new things.

As Kara looked on from across the crazy scientists, she could see Lena and Lexie acting the same way as Eliza and Alex, it was amusing, like a second gen of crazy scientists. Her little family of three had grown into a family of five. Kara could understand the basics of these projects, her aunt was a sort of scientist, mostly in the militia kind, her father had a background in science as well but he sold the ideas more than he created them. Kara had learned more about the biology and chemistry branches of science because of the Danvers but she never got the love for it, it was interesting at most but reporting was where her heart lied.

“Aunt Kara, look at this,” Lexie barely stretched out the whole paper and she couldn’t see the exact picture of the project. “It’s like the one in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

Too much science often gave her a headache being around Alex and Lena, now Eliza and Lexie were a part of it but if there was a chance for food to fall out from the sky then she would read and solve that project herself!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also hate to admit this but I think a little writer's block of wall is in the way. Ugh, i hate it!  
> But I hope you guys/gals enjoyed this. I had fun writing about Jack, the only good boi in Lena's life, haha. It was kinda emotional with Alex's part, it was mostly creative writing but the "darkness" of it is a liiiiittle bit based on crime series of podcast's i've listened to, again with added creativity *shrug*
> 
> leave a comment for this messy author. Keep yourselves safe!

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy the reads?  
> Please leave a comment for this messy author.


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